Leicester Women have suspended manager Willie Kirk amid allegations of a relationship with a player while an investigation is ongoing. Consequently, he will not be present on the touchline for their upcoming match against Liverpool this weekend.
The Foxes issued a statement to The Guardian, saying: “Willie Kirk is assisting the club with an internal process, the outcomes of which will be determined in due course.
Assistant manager Jennifer Foster and first-team coach Stephen Kirby will take charge of the team for Saturday’s FA Women’s Cup tie at Liverpool.”
Kirk has been with Leicester since July 2022, initially serving as the club’s director of football. He was appointed as manager on November 3, taking over from Lydia Bedford.
Before joining Leicester, Kirk managed Hibernian Women, Preston’s men’s team, and WSL clubs Bristol City and Everton. He also had a brief stint as an assistant at Manchester United in 2018.
Leicester is set to face Liverpool this weekend in the FA Cup. The Foxes currently sit seventh in the WSL with 16 points from 15 games, while the Reds are in fifth place.