Former New Zealand Football head of football Bev Priestman has taken up the role of head coach of the Canada Women’s National Team.

“Our immediate focus is the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 next year and then subsequently building towards the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia/New Zealand 2023™,” she told Canada Soccer.

Priestman joined New Zealand Football in 2009, rapidly rising through the ranks from head of women's football to head of football (what is now the technial director role). Key aspects of her work during that time were in developing the national stratefy for women's football, as well as the whole of football plan, with former Football Ferns head coach John Herdman.

After leaving New Zealand Football in 2013, Priestman spent five years at Canada Soccer, along with current FFDP and NZ Women’s U-20s assistant coach Natalie Lawrence and 2020 ISPS Handa Women Premiership team Capital Football head coach Maia Vink.

Lawrence, who worked with Priestman in Canada, said:

“I have had the pleasure of seeing Bev work in both New Zealand and Canada," says Lawrence. "Her level of detail and understanding of the game and how she puts this across to her players and staff is up there as one of the best I have ever seen.

During her five-year stint Priestman was the National EXCEL director, holding the head coach position for two FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup teams, and five age group Concacaf Women’s championship teams. She also served as a technical assistant to Canada Soccer’s Women’s National Team’s bronze medal-winning side at the Rio 2016 Olympics.

Priestman left Canada Soccer in 2018 to become assistant coach for the England National Women’s Team under head coach Phil Neville, reaching the semi-finals of the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2019 with the Lionesses. Her most recent role with the FA prior to accepting the Canada Women’s head coach position was as head coach of the England Women’s U-18s.

“As a friend I feel incredibly proud of her and what she achieves and I couldn’t think of a better person and coach to lead Canada for the next four years. Having Bev as a female coach, mentor and role model I feel inspired every day to be better and strive for the opportunities she has created for herself.

“Seeing someone as humble as Bev in the role she is in today proves that females have the opportunity to earn their way in the game and she has worked incredibly hard to get there,” says Lawrence. 

Priestman assumes her position on 1 November.

Article added: Thursday 29 October 2020