Leicester City Women are investigating their manager, Willie Kirk, over allegations of a relationship with one of their players and he will not be on the touchline for their game at Liverpool on Saturday.
It is understood that Kirk has been suspended pending the investigation into the allegations.
A Leicester spokesperson said: “Willie Kirk is assisting the club with an internal process, the outcomes of which will be determined in due course. Assistant manager Jennifer Foster and first-team coach Stephen Kirby will take charge of the team for Saturday’s FA Women’s Cup tie at Liverpool.”
Kirk has been approached for comment.
Kirk was appointed as director of football at the Women’s Super League club in July 2022 and appointed manager on 3 November of the same year, taking over from Lydia Bedford.
When the 45-year-old took charge of Leicester the team had gone six games without picking up a point and he helped them to finish the season on 16 points, in 10th, above Brighton and relegated Reading.
Jutta Rantala scored twice as Leicester City beat Liverpool to secure a place in the Women's FA Cup semi-finals for the first time.
The Foxes were without manager Willie Kirk, who is currently being investigating over allegations of a relationship with one of his players. The assistant manager, Jennifer Foster, and first-team coach Stephen Kirby took charge on Saturday and oversaw a historic victory.
Finland midfielder Rantala smashed the ball into the bottom corner on the rebound after Janice Cayman had struck the post with a curling shot. Despite pressure from Liverpool before and after the goal, Leicester went in a goal up at the interval.
Liverpool, without a home win since mid-November, kept pushing but were punished for their profligacy as Rantala led a break downfield before crashing a shot in off the crossbar from the edge of the box.
'I said to the players before the game, if we execute what we need to and do it in the way we know we can we know we'll get the result we deserve – and we did,' Foster told the BBC.
'There were one or two moments where we lapsed in concentration and they almost capitalised but that was the wake-up call we needed and we shifted up a gear. I can't fault the players for everything they've done today – I thought they were fantastic.' Guardian sport
Kirk began his senior managerial career with Hibernian and had a brief spell with the Preston Athletic men’s team before moving into management within the Women’s Super League. He spent three years with Bristol City before being recruited as assistant manager to Casey Stoney at Manchester United.
After six months Kirk left the role to become Everton’s manager in December 2018 but he was sacked after a poor start to the 2021-22 season, with the 2020 FA Cup finalists picking up two wins from their opening five fixtures.
Leicester sit seventh in the WSL, having reached 16 points with seven games left to play. They play Liverpool in an FA Cup quarter-final.
