Casey Stoney to join Phil Neville's England staff after ending playing career
Last updated on .From the section Women's Football
England and Liverpool defender Casey Stoney will join the backroom team of new Lionesses boss Phil Neville after ending her playing career on Wednesday.
The former England captain, 35, won 130 caps and skippered the Great Britain team at the 2012 London Olympics.
Her last game will be for Liverpool against Sunderland before she joins Neville's staff at the SheBelieves Cup in the United States next month.
Stoney said: "I am hugely excited about starting my next chapter."
Stoney, who teams up with Neville as part of the FA's new player-to-coach scheme, is the first appointment to the former Manchester United player's coaching set-up and was a watching observer when he was presented to the media last month.
She added: "Although I am sad to be hanging up my boots, I do so proud of what I have achieved and with great optimism about what the future holds for the women's game.
"I am thoroughly looking forward to working with Phil, who is an excellent choice to take the women's game forward.
"I talked to him at length before accepting the job and was hugely impressed with his vision, passion and eagerness to learn. I will be doing everything possible to support him alongside finishing my coaching badges."
Casey will be invaluable - Neville
Former Manchester United and Valencia coach Neville was a controversial appointment when he took over the role last month, having previously not worked in women's football and been a manager for only three games.
He also apologised for a series of tweets, which were described as "sexist".
By choosing Stoney to work alongside him, he has selected one of the most respected players in the game and one who has acted as a mentor to many of the current squad as her playing opportunities became more limited.
Despite only starting once at the 2015 World Cup in Canada, she was a key figure during England's run to third place.
"Casey has been a wonderful player for England and I am delighted she will continue to help the team with her new position," said Neville, 41.
"She has tremendous knowledge of the game and will be invaluable in helping us to take the team up another level.
"From working with her already and seeing at first hand the hunger she has to pass on her experience, I am sure Casey will go on to have a coaching career that rivals what she did on the pitch."
'One of the true greats'
Stoney, who describes her 24-year-playing career as a "dream come true", made her England debut in 2000 as an 18-year-old and in 2012 became only the fifth player to win 100 England caps for the Lionesses.
She appeared in three World Cups - in 2007, 2011 and 2015 - and played at the 2009 and 2013 European Championships, as well as being an unused substitute at the 2005 and 2017 Euros.
Being part of the teams that finished second at Euro 2009 and third at the 2015 World Cup were her greatest England achievements, but she describes being made captain by former boss Hope Powell as a moment that "changed her life".
Stoney won 12 major trophies for the clubs she represented, including four FA Cups. She played for Chelsea, Arsenal, Charlton Athletic, Lincoln and Liverpool, who she joined in December 2016.
In 2014, while England captain, she spoke publicly about being gay for the first time, which she said was a "huge weight" lifted from her shoulders.
FA chairman Greg Clarke said: "When it comes to acknowledging the true greats of English football, Casey Stoney has to be ranked among them. To earn 130 caps, win a World Cup bronze medal, captain Team GB at the Olympics and stay at the top of the club game for 17 years is truly special.
"While she has shone as a player, Casey has also embraced the FA's efforts to grow the women's game, becoming a remarkable ambassador for all.
"She has doubtless inspired many to follow in her footsteps, and I am sure this will continue to be the case as her England coaching career develops."
Further tributes to Stoney
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While I take the point, so if we see a lack of impartiality by our National news provider, or sports being over-promoted at the expense of others for PC reasons, or see a National team manager sacked because someone didn’t approve of his training ground humour- we should all say hey it’s ok, don’t worry?
Seven comments. 2 already moderated. 3 apparently about the Rochdale Spurs match. One carping about the poor lot of men. One carping about women's football. One on subject.
even worse than usual
If Phil Neville’s tenure is a disaster then surely the entire backroom team must also take some of the responsibility for failure? To say Stoney should not be used as a scapegoat suggests she should be exempt from criticism if the team fail. If the team are a success should she then be excluded from any praise and credit? You can’t have it both ways.
Thus suggesting that everyone has heard of her.
You seem to have left your grammatical ability in the changing room...
'If something angers you or stresses you out then avoid it. '
Presumably you tell that to the legions of 'professionally offended pc halfwits' of the world too?
12 minutes ago
@4 Paul - strange that you seem to blame those for finding the inappropriate comments made by Phil Neville rather than him for actually making them.
I find it strange and extremely sad that some person feels the need to go back 7 years through twitter posts in the hope of digging up some dirt on the guy.
Can't believe the puerile, mysoginistic attitudes on here. So you don't like women's football or gays, if you can't focus on the fact the FA seem to have made a decent appointment for a change then get back under your rock.
Even the apparently best striker in the world justifies cheating by saying "I felt contact, so I went down". Players don't see anything wrong with cheating, they just take it as part of the game. Sad times for football.
5 minutes ago
Sampson had a relationship with a player. It is only his former club that deemed it to be innapropriate and employers aren't meant to be able to dictate who staff can have relationships with any more. Wouldn't happen outside football and there is no difference between his and Stoney's situation other than him being male and it being convenient for the FA
“Long overdue is a seperate Womens Football tab. Same for all the minority, specialist social sectors that the BBC obsesses on.No problem with reporting these but keep it on dedicated pages where those interested can read it”
Topgazza there already is a Women’s football tab!Now stories are put in the main football section AND the Women’s.Men don’t deserve their own tab apparently!
I for one wish her all the best.
Here is person at the top of her chosen sport for years, an ambassador of the sport she played, and stood up to the likes of you lot that stigmatise being gay.
If you achieve half of what she’s done in her life, you’d feel successful. Instead, you’ll keep bashing the insults on here, to satisfy your own suffocating bitterness.
#greeneyedmonsters