Former England Under-19s head coach Amy Merricks is set to take over as the new head coach of Women’s Championship side Birmingham City. Merricks, who recently left her position with the England youth team, is poised to replace Darren Carter, who departed from Birmingham City by mutual consent.
Merricks will be working alongside women’s technical director Hope Powell, with whom she previously worked at Brighton as an assistant manager and development coach. She also has a close working relationship with Birmingham City assistant manager Emily Simpkins, having worked together at both England Under-19s and Brighton.
The decision to bring in Merricks comes after Birmingham City suffered a 3-1 defeat to Charlton Athletic, leaving them seven points behind league leaders Sunderland with only three games remaining in the season. As one of the founding clubs in the Women’s Super League, Birmingham City sees Merricks as a long-term appointment to help them push back into the top flight, where they finished as runners-up in 2011 and 2012.
Although Merricks may not officially begin her role until next week, Birmingham City will face Crystal Palace in the Women’s Championship on Sunday. Fans will be eager to see how Merricks’ leadership will impact the team as they strive for success in the remainder of the season.