Kerri Welsh has been named as the new head coach of the Young Lionesses.
The former Aston Villa striker left the West Midlands club last season to become an assistant coach with England women’s under-16 and -17 teams.
Welsh previously spent eight years with Villa as a player, captaining the club to promotion to the Women’s Super League in her final season, before taking up a role as a youth coach with the girls’ academy.
The 33-year-old put that experience to good use last season, working with the England under-17 and -16 squads, and has now been elevated to a more senior role.
What did Kerri Welsh say about being named England under-17s head coach?
“I’m honoured to be named the new head coach of the [under-17s],” said Welsh. “Working with young players is something I’ve always been really passionate about – helping them grow not just as footballers, but as people too.
“It’s such an exciting time to be part of the England set-up, especially with the senior team achieving so much both on and off the pitch.
“It’s the responsibility of those of us in the pathway to ensure the next generation are ready to continue that legacy.”
Following the senior side’s Euro 2025 victory this summer, Welsh assumes control of the Young Lionesses at a pivotal moment.
The Football Association is understandably eager to maintain the momentum established by Sarina Wiegman’s side. With qualification for next year’s European Under-17 Championship in Northern Ireland at stake in the months ahead, the onus will be on Welsh to hit the ground running.
The top five teams in the tournament will earn a place in the 2026 under-17 Women’s World Cup.
“We’re delighted to confirm Kerri as the new head coach of the women’s under-17s,” said Gavin Step, the FA’s interim women’s technical director. “Her promotion is thoroughly deserved after the positive impact she’s made since joining us.”
What will Kerri Welsh’s appointment mean for England under-17s?
Welsh’s success at Aston Villa, where she rose to become head coach of the professional game academy 21 side, would suggest the Young Lionesses are in good hands.
There is a firmly established pathway from the academy to the first team at Villa, who won their final five games of last season to finish sixth in the Women’s Super League.
“The time that I’ve been at the club represents the investment that I’ve wanted to put into ensuring the women’s and girls’ game grows here,” Welsh said on leaving the club last November.
“We’ve come a very long way since I walked through the door a long time ago. There’s been lots of successes, lots of highs, lots of lows and to say that I’ve been a small or a big part in those moments is something I’m incredibly proud of.”
The Young Lionesses will become the latest beneficiaries of that deep reservoir of experience.
