Matt Beard and Amber Whiteley (file photo). Alamy Stock Photo

Liverpool sack Matt Beard as new Ireland assistant coach takes interim charge

Irish duo Leanne Kiernan and Niamh Fahey play for the Reds.

LIVERPOOL HAVE SACKED manager Matt Beard, with assistant coach Amber Whiteley taking interim charge. 

The Reds impressively finished fourth in the Women’s Super League last season but sit seventh this term after just four wins in 14 games.

Beard won back-to-back WSL titles with the Reds in 2013 and 2014 and returned for a second spell in charge in May 2021.

In his first season back at the helm, he oversaw promotion back into the WSL.

His second reign ended with a 4-0 defeat to Manchester City in Liverpool’s last outing before the international break.

A club statement said: “We have all experienced some fantastic moments with Matt as manager of LFC Women and we express our gratitude for his significant contribution.

“Our priority was to return this team to where it belongs and we collectively achieved that in 2022 by winning promotion to the WSL.

“We need to build on that momentum and although this has been a difficult decision, we believe it provides us with the best opportunity for future success on the pitch.”

Whiteley will take interim charge while the club search for a new manager. She was recently added to Carla Ward’s Ireland staff as assistant coach, with Alan Mahon the assistant head coach. Ward’s reign has opened poorly in League B of the Nations League; a 4-0 drubbing to Slovenia following a scrappy 1-0 win over Türkiye.

Liverpool’s next match is on Sunday, when they travel to WSL strugglers Crystal Palace before they face Arsenal in the FA Cup quarter-finals the following week.

Irish duo Niamh Fahey and Leanne Kiernan play their club football for the Reds. Club captain Fahey recently retired from international duty as a centurion, while Kiernan was ruled out of Ireland’s recent games with a calf injury.

- Additional reporting from Emma Duffy

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