Football Association of Wales (FAW) have appointed Gemma Grainger as their new manager of the Women’s National Team.
Grainger joins from England where she served as a Youth Coach within the Lionesses set-up, and formed part of Mark Sampson’s coaching team at 2017 UEFA Women’s Euros as the Lionesses exited at the semi-final stage to hosts, Netherlands.
Speaking on her decision to replace Jayne Ludlow as manager on a four-year contract, Grainger said: “I’m proud to become Cymru’s National Team Manager and I can’t wait for the challenge ahead.”
Grainger also spoke of how she has mapped her way through her coaching career to eventually become a senior team manager, saying: “Every part of my career has been deliberate and thought out to build towards taking a senior team to a major tournament.”
Wales however won’t feature at 2022 UEFA Women’s Euros after narrowly missing on qualification to Norway and a qualifying play-off spot to Northern Ireland, with the latter miss coming down to head-to-head away goals which the Irish won 2-0.
Grainger though has spoken of this period marking ‘an exciting time’ for the sport in Wales and is ‘looking forward’ to working with both staff and players in preparing for their 2023 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign and aim to ‘write a new chapter’ in Welsh women’s football.
FAW President, Kieran O’Connor is “thrilled” to appoint Grainger as Ludlow’s replacement following what he described as “a thorough recruitment process”, and is now looking forward to the future with ambitions of growth and success in the women’s game.
FAW Head of Women’s and Girls Football, Lowri Roberts meanwhile spoke of seeing “good progress” in the sport in recent years and believes that Grainger’s arrival is “a clear commitment’ that they’re giving the Women’s Team the ‘best possible chance for success.”
Roberts however iterated that qualifying for a major tournament is the main priority for Grainger, commenting: “Qualification for a major tournament would be the catalyst to step change growth across the entire female game in Wales…”
Grainger’s first game in charge of Wales comes on Friday 9 April 2021 in an international friendly against Canada, before hosting Denmark on Tuesday 13 April.
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