Hannah Dingley, the first woman to take charge of a men’s side in England’s top four divisions, has been appointed girls’ Head of Academy at Manchester City.
Dingley was named caretaker manager of Forest Green Rovers — where she was head of the club’s academy — in July 2023, overseeing a friendly draw against Melksham Town that month, but was not appointed on a permanent basis.
City say that Dingley’s role will be to ‘establish a clear pathway for youth players into the senior team while implementing our philosophy and methodology across individual athletes and teams’.
Dingley said upon her appointment: “City is a leading force in women’s football and I am really excited to be joining such an ambitious and progressive club.”
Charlotte O’Neill, City’s managing director, highlighted how the club’s youth graduates Gracie Prior, Lily Murphy and Codie Thomas all became part of the club’s senior squad over the course of the campaign.
City finished fourth in this season’s Women’s Super League (WSL), meaning they missed out on next season’s Champions League.
Nick Cushing’s side finished the season trophyless, being edged out 3-2 by Chelsea at the quarter-final stage of the Champions League.
(Ryan Hiscott/Getty Images)