Page 5 - Women's Soccer Scene Issue No.28 2022-23

Brighton & Hove Albion’s assistant manager Amy Merricks has been appointed the new head
coach of England WU19s.
Having led the Barclays Women’s Super League club as interim manager on three separate
occasions, most recently in the last month where she was the league’s youngest-serving
manager, Merricks will now leave the club and lead the Young Lionesses from the 2023-24
season onwards.
Amy Merricks said: “I am incredibly excited. It is an absolute honour to represent my
country and join the England pathway. I am really grateful to The FA in general and Kay
Cossington for the opportunity at such a pivotal time for the women’s game and the Lionesses
and I can’t wait to get started.
“I have had a fantastic experience at Brighton. I have been with the club for eight years,
starting with the Under-13s and the reserves, and progressing to the women’s first team. That
has been a journey in itself but the time has come to take on a new challenge. The positive
experiences and challenges I have had along the way are going to hold me in great stead going
forward.
“With the progress that the England senior team have made under Sarina Wiegman, it is
important we support that winning culture across the age groups so that players can be
prepared to compete on the world stage.
“You can see that Sarina has a passion for ensuring young players have an opportunity
when they deserve the chance. I'm looking forward to bringing knowledge and experience of
developing individuals and teams domestically to ensure we continue to develop exciting young
talent which can play a part in the Lionesses thriving.”
Her time at Brighton included being mentored for five years by former England head coach
Hope Powell. She had been with the south coast club since July 2015 and rose through the
coaching ranks.
She started as development squad head coach and became assistant manager, first to
George Parris before Powell’s arrival in July 2017.
With coaching experience also at Gillingham and Millwall, Merricks is taking her UEFA Pro
licence qualification with the FA, having already achieved her UEFA A licence as well as a
distinction in the League Managers Association diploma in football management. At St
George’s Park, she will replace Emma Coates who is to take charge of the WU23s from this
summer.
Merricks will work within the FA’s development team set-up which is led by Shelley Kerr.
The former Scotland manager's role as head of women’s development teams aims to drive the
delivery and ambitions of England’s pathway sides and support connectivity and alignment up
to the WU23s within the women's technical directorate led by Kay Cossington.
Kay Cossington, FA women’s technical director, said: “We are thrilled Amy has agreed to
join us. She will bring so much energy and enthusiasm to the role, and plenty of invaluable WSL
experience from her time working day-to-day and in major competitive matches with a strong
squad at Brighton.
“Working under Hope, she has gained an understanding of what it takes to be a high-level
coach and she also knows the importance of developing young players and instilling in them
what’s required on and off the pitch. Amy has a great future ahead of her, but I am sure her
arrival will make an instant positive impact.”

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