- Took charge initially between 2012 and 2015
- Sealed return to WSL in 21/22
- Signs new, extended contract with the club
WHAT HAPPENED? Beard has been rewarded for a successful season last campaign, extending his stay at Liverpool Women. He returned in 2021 after six years away, a time period which saw him manage Boston Breakers, West Ham United Women and Bristol City Women, and steered Liverpool back into the Women's Super League in 2022 after a two-year absence.
THE BIGGER PICTURE: The decision to hand Beard a new contract comes just over two weeks since Liverpool's old training base Melwood, that has been empty since the men's team moved to their new base in Kirby in 2020, was re-opened to act as a definitive home for the club's women's team who had to train at Tranmere Rovers' training ground in the past.
WHAT THEY SAID?: Speaking to the club's official website, he said: "I’m delighted. Obviously everyone knows what the club means to me, so it was an easy decision really for me to extend my stay here. I think we’re [at the] early stages of a big project and you’ve really got the future to look forward to. I’m excited for the future of the team because I think we’ve got a good group here, a good young group as well that can grow.
"I think Melwood is a massive step in the right direction for us,” he added. “It’s game-changing, to be honest. For us to have the facility we have now, it really means that we can deliver and do what we want to do for the players. “What we want to do is build a team that can grow. We’ve got a world-class facility to enable us to do that and not only to prepare the players, but from a nutrition point of view, a rehab point of view, even recovering, we’ve got everything that we need to be successful."
IN THREE PHOTOS:
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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR BEARD? He and his coaching staff will be keen to ramp up preparations as the WSL gets underway on October 1. His Liverpool side travel down to London to take on Arsenal.