The daughter of Kenny Shiels has hit out at the criticism of her father in the aftermath of the comments he made following Northern Ireland's defeat to England.
Shiels issued an apology after claiming "women are more emotional than men" following his side's 5-0 loss at Windsor Park on Tuesday night.
Sinn Fein vice-president Michelle O'Neill and former Arsenal and England striker Ian Wright were among the figures to criticise the 65-year-old.
Read more: Northern Ireland captain Marissa Callaghan issues statement on Kenny Shiels comments
On Thursday Northern Ireland captain Marissa Callaghan issued a statement in defence of Shiels, which was shared on Twitter by his daughter Lauren Kearney.
She posted: “The abuse and character assassination my Dad has endured over the past 24 hours has been shocking.
“Thank you to those that have shown support it won't be forgotten.”
Shiels has helped galvanise the fortunes of women's football in Northern Ireland since becoming senior manager in May 2019.
He guided the team to the 2022 Euro finals where they will play England once again this summer.
Tuesday's game also saw over 15,000 fans descend on Windsor Park, a record crowd for a women's game in Northern Ireland.
In his apology on Wednesday, Shiels said: "I wish to apologise for my comments made in the post-match press conference last night. I am sorry for the offence that they have caused," Shiels said in a statement.
"Last night was a special occasion for the women’s game in Northern Ireland and I am proud to manage a group of players who are role models for so many girls, and boys, across the country.
"I am an advocate for the women's game and passionate about developing opportunities for women and girls to flourish."
Read more: Northern Ireland vs England as it happened at Windsor Park
Read more: NI teenagers Dale Taylor and Jamie McDonnell make cup history with Nottingham Forest
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