Kenny Shiels has apologised after saying "women are more emotional than men" when analysing Northern Ireland's 5-0 defeat to England on Tuesday night.
Shiels' comments sparked criticism from a number of fans as well as former England player Ian Wright and talkSPORT presenter Laura Woods.
"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.
Read more: Northern Ireland vs England as it happened at Windsor Park
"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."
It was an emotionally charged night as Windsor Park hosted the biggest ever crowd for a women's game in Northern Ireland, with over 15,000 fans watching the game in South Belfast.
England opened the scoring through Lauren Hemp in the 26th minute but Shiels’ side kept the deficit to one goal at the interval before conceding four times in 27 second-half minutes.
Shiels said after the game: “I thought they were struggling a wee bit at times to open us up until the psychology of going two up.
“In the women’s game you’ll have noticed if you go through the patterns, when a team concedes a goal they concede a second one within a very short period of time.
“Right through the whole spectrum of the women’s game, because girls and women are more emotional than men, so they take a goal going in not very well.”
He added: “When we went 1-0 down we tried to slow it right down to give them time to get that emotional imbalance out of their heads. That’s an issue we have.
“It’s not just in Northern Ireland, but all countries.”
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.
Meanwhile, the Chief Executive of Sport NI says she welcomes Shiels' apology.
Antoinette McKeown said it was "critical" that any coach or manager was aware of "the influence they have on public perceptions, particularly on our young girls and boys".
She said: “Tuesday night’s sell-out crowd at the National Stadium, was a demonstration of how far women’s football has come in the hearts and minds of our people.
“Sport provokes strong emotional responses, both in fans and players alike, no matter what their gender. That is what gives us our passion for it, but to regard that as following gender lines is simply wrong. In any team, there will be a variety of personalities and responses to both winning and losing, and engaging in outdated stereotypes is not helpful.
“I’m heartened that manager Kenny Shiels has issued an apology and reflected on his view offered after last night’s game. It is critical that our sports leaders appreciate the influence they have on public perceptions, particularly on our young girls and boys.
"This will not detract from the support and respect the squad deserve as we cheer them on at the Euros this summer.”
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