Shelley Kerr

Shelley Kerr
Personal information
Date of birth (1969-10-15) 15 October 1969
Place of birth Broxburn, West Lothian, Scotland
Height 1.72 m (5 ft 8 in)
Playing position Defender
Club information
Current team
 Stirling University
(Manager)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
Edinburgh Dynamo
Inveralmond Thistle
Heart of Midlothian
2001–2002 Giuliano's
2002–2005 Kilmarnock Ladies
2005–2007 Doncaster Rovers Belles
2007–2008 Hibernian Ladies
2008–2010 Spartans Women
National team‡
1989–2008 Scotland [1] 59 (3)
Teams managed
2004 Kilmarnock Ladies
2007–2008 Hibernian Ladies
2008–2010 Spartans Women
2009–2013 Scotland Women U19
2013–2014 Arsenal Ladies
2014– Stirling University F.C.
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 20:05, 19 August 2014 (UTC)

Michelle "Shelley" Kerr (born 15 December 1969) is a Scottish football manager and former player. In February 2013 she was named manager of English FA WSL club Arsenal Ladies. She won the FA Cup with Arsenal twice, including on 1 June 2014. As a player Kerr was a powerful centre back, who captained the Scotland women's national football team as well as clubs including Kilmarnock and Hibernian. She won 59 caps for Scotland between 1989 and 2008, scoring three goals.

During her playing career Kerr won every domestic honour in Scotland and played in the UEFA Women's Cup. She also represented Doncaster Rovers Belles in England. As a coach, Kerr gained experience at Kilmarnock, Hibernian and Spartans while progressing through the Scottish Football Association's (SFA) Long-term Player Development pathway, eventually taking charge of the Scotland women's under–19 national team in 2009. She gained the UEFA Pro Licence in January 2013, shortly before leaving the SFA for Arsenal Ladies.

Playing career

Club career

Kerr participated in football at school[2] and Edinburgh Dynamo were her first football club. In 2001–02 Kerr was playing for Edinburgh–based Giuliano's.[3] In summer 2002 she moved to league champions Kilmarnock, ahead of the inaugural Scottish Women's Premier League season.[4] In September 2002 Kerr made her UEFA Women's Cup debut in a 0–0 draw with CSK.[5]

In January 2005 Kerr and compatriot Nicky Grant signed for struggling English FA Women's Premier League club Doncaster Rovers Belles,[6] both making their debuts in a 3–1 home defeat to Charlton Athletic.[7] Kerr and Grant scored in the Belles' 2–0 win over Bristol City to help the club avoid relegation.[8]

International career

Kerr made her senior Scottish national team debut against "Auld Enemy" England, a 3–0 friendly defeat at Starks Park, Kirkcaldy in April 1989.[9]

Kerr stopped playing football altogether for approximately nine years, during which she gave birth to her daughter. Returning to the game in her early thirties, she trained hard to win back her place in the Scotland team.[10] In May 2001, Kerr was named in coach Vera Pauw's Scotland squad for a friendly with the Netherlands at Almondvale Stadium. She was listed as a Heart of Midlothian LFC player.[11]

Following her comeback, Kerr later intended to quit national team duty after a tour of Cyprus in 2007, but was persuaded by coach Anna Signeul to return for the UEFA Women's Euro 2009 qualifying campaign.[12] Prior to the home fixture against Ukraine at McDiarmid Park in May 2008, presentations were made to Kerr, Megan Sneddon and Suzanne Grant who had all reached the milestone of 50 appearances for their country.[13]

Kerr retired from international football, aged 39, after the away leg of Scotland's eventual away goals defeat to Russia in Nalchik on 30 October 2008, in the qualifying play–off. It was reported that this had been her 58th and final cap.[14] In an interview with She Kicks in May 2010, Kerr attested to a total of 59 appearances.[15]

International goals

Results list Scotland's goal tally first.[16][17][18]
# Date Venue Opponent Result Competition Scored
1 25 November 2001 Puyenbeke Stadion, Belsele  Belgium 2–3 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup qual. 1
2 31 July 2005 McDiarmid Park, Perth  Northern Ireland 2–1 Friendly 1
3 27 October 2007 NTC Senec, Senec  Slovakia 3–0 2009 UEFA Women's Championship qual. 1

Coaching career

Kerr took her first coaching course at the Inverclyde NTSC in 1989.[19] When Jim Chapman resigned as manager of Kilmarnock Ladies in 2004, Kerr took the team's training sessions in the opening months of the 2004–05 season.[20] She did not want the job on a permanent basis and was keen for someone else to take over.[21] After Kerr's playing career took her to Doncaster Rovers Belles, then back to Scotland with Hibernian, she took over as Hibs' player–coach under manager Maggie Wilson in 2007–08. That season she captained the club to a Scottish Women's Cup and Scottish Women's Premier League Cup double.

In June 2008 Kerr left Hibernian for a player–manager role at their Edinburgh rivals Spartans.[22] Having previously worked as a Regional Development Officer for the Scottish Football Association (SFA), Kerr was appointed Technical and Development Programme Manager for Girls and Women's Football in 2009. The women's under–19 national team came under Kerr's remit and she steered them to the 2010 UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship finals.[23] Increasing commitments with the SFA meant that Kerr resigned as Spartans manager in April 2010.[24]

Kerr was awarded the UEFA Pro Licence in January 2013.[19] On 1 February 2013 she was "extremely excited" to be announced as Laura Harvey's successor as manager of Arsenal Ladies.[25] The club under her management won the FA Women's Cup and Continental Cup and finished third in the league during the 2013 season. After a poor run of form which saw the club gain only one point from the opening four league matches of the 2014 season, exit the Champions League to Birmingham and suffer a shock loss to Reading in the League Cup, Kerr decided to resign.[26][27] Kerr's final game in charge of Arsenal was the 2014 FA Women's Cup final which her team won 2–0 against Everton.[28]

On Tuesday 19 August 2014 Kerr was appointed as manager of the Lowland Football League side Stirling University.[29] Kerr's appointment is the first time at this level in the United Kingdom a woman has been named as manager of a men's side.

Style of play

Anna Signeul, Kerr's manager at international level, described her as a "really British central defender" in respect of "toughness on the pitch, and for her ability to communicate verbally and direct the other players."[12] Writing in the Scotland on Sunday newspaper in 2002, sports journalist Moira Gordon praised Kerr as "uncompromising and tenacious". She summarised Kerr as: "A tough player both mentally and physically, she is good in the air and also with the ball at her feet, and times her tackles well."[10]

References

  1. ↑ "Michelle Kerr". Scottish Football Association. Retrieved 2013-02-02.
  2. ↑ Britton, Emma (2002-04-20). "Women's football gets on side with 'Becks appeal' NEW MOVIE PUTS GIRLS IN SPOTLIGHT". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 2013-02-02.
  3. ↑ Thomson, Lynsey (2002-05-27). "Future bright as Giuliano’s beat Dundee". The Scotsman. Retrieved 2013-02-02.
  4. ↑ "Scottish women's league kicks off". British Broadcasting Corporation. 2002-08-09. Retrieved 2013-02-02.
  5. ↑ "Michelle Kerr". UEFA.com. Retrieved 2013-02-02.
  6. ↑ Clark, Ginny (2005-01-26). "WOMEN'S FOOTBALL: Shel's happy to be a Belle". Daily Record. Retrieved 2013-02-02.
  7. ↑ Cocozza, Paula (2005-01-24). "Women's football". The Guardian. Retrieved 2013-02-02.
  8. ↑ Cocozza, Paula (2005-02-07). "Women's football". The Guardian. Retrieved 2013-02-02.
  9. ↑ "Scotland Women A Squad". The Pink 2. Retrieved 2011-06-21.
  10. 1 2 Gordon, Moira (2002-05-05). "Kerr’s fresh enthusiasm opens up European adventure". Scotland on Sunday. Retrieved 2013-02-02.
  11. ↑ Mitchell, Andrew (2001-05-04). "Rosters for Scotland v Netherlands (Holland) Thursday, 10th May, 2001". Women's Soccer World. Retrieved 2013-02-03.
  12. 1 2 Moore, Richard (2008-10-24). "Kerr answers SOS for clash with Russia". The Scotsman. Retrieved 2013-02-02.
  13. ↑ "Scotland Women 0-1 Ukraine Women". British Broadcasting Corporation. 2008-05-28. Retrieved 2013-02-02.
  14. ↑ "Interview: Shelley Kerr (Scotland U-19 Head Coach)". She Kicks. 2010-05-25. Retrieved 2013-02-02.
  15. ↑ "The Long Goodbye" (24 ed.). The Winning Zone. December 2008. Retrieved 2013-02-02.
  16. ↑ "Belgium - Scotland 3:2 (2:0)". FIFA.com. 2001-11-25. Retrieved 2013-02-03.
  17. ↑ "Ferguson is full of the joys after Scots see off Irish". The Scotsman. 2005-08-01. Retrieved 2013-02-03.
  18. ↑ "JULIE FLEETING'S 100th INTERNATIONAL GOAL IN WIN AGAINST SLOVAKIA". Scottish Football Association. 2007-10-27. Retrieved 2013-02-03.
  19. 1 2 "Anna Signeul and Shelley Kerr sit UEFA Pro Licence". Scottish FA. 29 November 2011. Retrieved 5 February 2013.
  20. ↑ Clark, Ginny (2004-12-01). "Football: Seven-up Dons cool; WOMEN'S FOOTBALL". Daily Record. Retrieved 2013-02-02.
  21. ↑ Clark, Ginny (2004-11-03). "WOMEN'S FOOTBALL: Shel makes boss plea". Daily Record. Retrieved 2013-02-02.
  22. ↑ "Shelley Kerr takes up appointment as Spartans Player Coach". Spartans WFC. Retrieved 2013-02-02.
  23. ↑ "Scotland". UEFA.com. 2010-04-01. Retrieved 2013-02-02.
  24. ↑ "Shelley moves on". Spartans F.C. 2010-04-25. Retrieved 2013-02-02.
  25. ↑ "Shelley Kerr appointed Arsenal manager". Scottish Football Association. 2013-02-01. Retrieved 2013-02-02.
  26. ↑ "Ladies manager Shelley Kerr to step down". Arsenal F.C. 2014-05-25. Retrieved 2014-05-25.
  27. ↑ http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/27569711
  28. ↑ http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/27628675
  29. ↑ "Football - Kerr handed Stirling role".
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