Willie Kirk has been named head coach of Durham in the Women’s Championship, returning to English football two years after being dismissed by Leicester City Women for a relationship with a player.
The 48-year-old was sacked in March 2024 after an internal investigation concluded he had a physical relationship with a player, breaching the club’s code of conduct. While player-coach relationships are not illegal when no minors are involved, they are widely discouraged in the women’s game.
Durham’s announcement did not reference his Leicester exit. Under WSL licensing rules, clubs must have clear conduct codes and a safeguarding officer in place.
BBC Sport has contacted Durham, the FA and the PFA for comment. Relationships between players and coaches have been criticised for creating power imbalances and putting younger players at risk; England manager Sarina Wiegman has called them inappropriate and unhealthy.
A year after his dismissal, Kirk appealed for a second chance, saying he had applied for every WSL and second-tier job in England except at Arsenal and Manchester City but had not received an interview.