Brentford have confirmed their landmark decision to appoint female coach Lydia Bedford as manager of their men's Under-18s side.
Bedford, 35, has previously worked as England Women's youth team head coach and manager of Leicester Women, as well as having spent the past three months as part of Jonas Eidevall's coaching staff at Arsenal Women.
Now Bedford - who, according to the Telegraph, said her goodbyes to Arsenal's players this week after informing them of her departure - has the opportunity to make history, entering an exclusive group of female coaches to work with men's teams at the elite level.
With Beford's move representing a major milestone for women working in football, Mirror Football takes a look at her career so far and why Brentford have moved to bring her in.
Who is Lydia Bedford?
In 2021, Susan Whelan, Leicester’s chief executive, described Bedford as “one of the rising stars of the women’s game".
The 35-year-old began her coaching career in 2008 and completed her UEFA Pro Licence in 2019 alongside Brentford legend Kevin O’Connor and Justin Cochrane, who joined the club last summer as their head of coaching.
In November 2021, Bedford was appointed as manager of newly-promoted Leicester City in the Women's Super League, and she helped the Foxes somewhat improbably avoid relegation during her first season at the King Power. However, after losing the first six games of the 2022/23 campaign, Leicester moved to sack Bedford last November, with former Everton Women's boss Willie Kirk subsequently taking charge of the club.
Following Bedford’s departure, Whelan said: “We’re extremely grateful to Lydia for everything she has done during her time with Leicester City, guiding our players through a difficult first season in the WSL. Her skill as a coach and dedication to improving players were big factors in the retention of our WSL status and will continue to serve her well in a successful career.”
Bedford joined Arsenal Women as an assistant coach in March and played a vital role in the Gunners securing a top-three finish in the WSL.
Why have Brentford brought her in?
Despite a difficult end to her tenure at Leicester, Bedford is still a very highly rated coach in the women's game and would therefore be an attractive prospect for a number of Premier League clubs too.
Discussing Bedford's appointment, as well as the addition of assistant coach Jon-Paul Pittman, Brentford FC director of football Phil Giles said: “I’m really pleased that we’ve managed to attract such talented coaches as Lydia and Jon-Paul to our under-18 team for next year. It’s an important time for the under-18 team as next season will be the first where they’ve operated out of the Robert Rowan Performance Centre and integrating them smoothly alongside the first team and B team will be essential.
“We undertook an extensive recruitment process for these roles. Lydia and Jon-Paul were the two best candidates, and thankfully we were able to finalise their recruitment to the staff. I’m sure they will excel, and we all look forward to working with them through pre-season and beyond.”
Who will be on her coaching staff?
Bedford’s assistant coach will be Jon-Paul Pittman, who spent more than a decade playing for a host of EFL clubs - including Doncaster Rovers and Oxford United, before hanging up his boots in 2019.
Pittman then started coaching in Exeter City’s academy and moved to League Two club Forest Green Rovers as their lead professional development phase coach in January 2022.
Why is Bedford's appointment a landmark moment?
When Bedford starts her new role, she will be stepping into one of the most senior positions ever held by a woman at a men’s Premier League club.
No female coach has ever managed a men’s professional side in England and, even at youth level, women in coaching roles of this nature at elite men’s clubs are few and far bewteen.
Former England international midfielder Jill Scott recently took up a coaching position within Manchester City's academy, while the current England women’s Under-17s manager, Natalie Henderson previously coached at Newcastle United’s boys academy, and she was understood to have been the first woman employed full-time by a Premier League academy.
Consequently, Bedford's appointment is a huge step forward in terms of female visibility in the men's game, however there will also be those who question whether Bedford's experience of managing a senior women's side overqualifies her for her new role.
