Leicester City Women are investigating their manager Willie Kirk over allegations of a relationship with one of their players, who will not be on the sidelines for their game at Liverpool on Saturday.
It is understood Kirk has been suspended pending an investigation into the allegations.
A Leicester spokesman said: “Willie Kirk is supporting the club through an internal process, the results of which will be determined in due course.” Assistant coach Jennifer Foster and first-team coach Stephen Kirby will lead the team in the FA Women’s Cup game on Saturday in Liverpool.”
Kirk has been contacted for comment.
Kirk was appointed as the Women’s Super League club’s director of football in July 2022 and was appointed manager on 3 November that year, succeeding Lydia Bedford.
When the 45-year-old took charge of Leicester, the team had not picked up a point in six games and he helped them finish the season with 16 points, in 10th place, ahead of Brighton and relegated Reading.
Kirk began his career as a senior manager at Hibernian and spent a short time with the Preston Athletic men’s team before moving into management in the Women’s Super League. He spent three years at Bristol City before being hired as assistant coach to Casey Stoney at Manchester United.
After six months, Kirk left the position to become Everton’s manager in December 2018, but was sacked following a poor start to the 2021–22 season, which saw the 2020 FA Cup finalists claim two wins from their first five games.
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Leicester sit seventh in the WSL and have 16 points with seven games remaining. They play Liverpool in the FA Cup quarter-finals.
