Willie Kirk has been appointed head coach of Women’s Super League 2 side Durham, two years after he was sacked by Leicester City Women’s team for having a relationship with a player.
The 48-year-old was dismissed in March 2024 following an internal investigation that found he was in a physical relationship with a player, breaching the club’s code of conduct.
Player-coach relationships are not illegal – as long as no minors are involved – with Kirk returning for the first time to English football.
Durham’s statement made no mention of his dismissal from Leicester City.
Codes of conduct among players and managers are a condition of clubs getting a WSL licence, and every club must have a safeguarding officer in place.
BBC Sport has reached out to Durham for comment about the appointment and to the Football Association (FA) and Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA).
Personal relationships between players and coaches in women’s football have been criticised for potentially creating a power imbalance in a squad and putting young women at risk.
England manager Sarina Wiegman has described them as “very inappropriate” and “not healthy”.
A year on from being sacked, Kirk called for a second chance, revealing he was yet to receive an interview after applying for every WSL and English women’s second-division vacancy apart from Arsenal and Manchester City.
“Durham has established itself as a respected club with strong values and a clear identity, and I’m excited by the opportunity to work with the players and staff to build on those foundations,” Kirk said about his appointment at Durham.
“I believe in creating an environment where people are challenged, supported and driven to improve every day.”
Durham finished 10th in the Women’s Super League 2 last season and announced in March that head coach Adam Furness would move into a new role within the club.
Kirk joins the Blues after recently leaving Swedish top-flight side Djurgardens, having also managed Linkoping in the Damallsvenskan last year.
He has spent 16 years in the women’s game and previously managed Everton, Bristol City and Hibernian, with a stint also as an assistant coach at Manchester United.
“We’re delighted to have Willie coaching the first-team,” director of Durham Women Lee Sanders added.
“His experience and track record of success in developing top players speaks for itself.”
New episodes of Women’s Football Weekly podcast drop every Tuesday on BBC Sounds, plus find interviews and extra content from the Women’s Super League and beyond on the Women’s Football Weekly feed
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