Scotland Women’s National Team head coach Shelley Kerr has been awarded an MBE in the 2019 Queen’s Birthday Honours List in the lead up to Scotland’s World Cup opener.
Shelley was appointed Scotland’s national team head coach in 2017 and after a successful qualification campaign where they won seven out of eight matches, they secured their place at the Women’s World Cup.
They will now face England on Sunday night in the Stade de Nice in what will be an historic occasion.
Shelley Kerr has had a rich coaching career, managing Kilmarnock, Hibernian and Spartans before joining the Scottish FA, first as Regional Development Officer and then as Technical and Development Programme Manager for Girls’ and Women's Football.
In 2010 she led the Scotland Women's Under–19 national team to the UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship finals.
After leaving the Scottish FA she moved to England to manage Arsenal Ladies from 2013 until 2014, during which time she won two consecutive FA Cups.
She became the first female manager in British men's senior football when she was appointed manager of Stirling University in 2014, leading them to a British Universities Championship Final and achieving consistent top five finishes in the Scottish Lowland Football League.
During a 20-year playing career she represented a number of clubs including Kilmarnock, Hibernian, Doncaster Rovers Belles and Spartans, winning every major club honour in Scotland.
She earned 59 caps for Scotland, captaining her country on multiple occasions and scoring three goals.
Now, before Scotland’s debut at a FIFA World Cup, she has been given another honour to add to an ever-growing list.
Shelley Kerr said: “It’s not often I’m lost for words but I was speechless when I found out I’ve been awarded an MBE and really surprised.
“It’s a tremendous honour and one I’m immensely proud of.
“I’ve always been brought up with good values and being a team player. It’s times like these that I look back and think about everyone who has helped me.
“As a wee girl I had a passion for football and I’ve developed over the years but I’ve always wanted to give something back to the game.
“To be recognised for that gives me a real sense of pride.
“I would say the award is more about other people than it is about me. The players have created a huge amount of profile for the women’s national team off the back of their performances on the park and they deserve a huge amount of credit for that.
“I’ve worked in the development side of the game and there’s been so many people who have supported me as a individual and it’s down to them I’ve been recognised.
“I’ve been sworn to secrecy so I only really told my parents and my daughter prior to the announcement. My family have sacrificed so much to support me and this award is for them as much as it is for me.”