Aston Villa manager, Carla Ward, has announced that she will be stepping down from her role in the women’s team at the end of the season.
Despite signing a one year contract extension with the option for a further year, she has decided to leave the club.
She joined Aston Villa in 2021, from Birmingham City, and led Villa to their highest ever league position last season, finishing in fifth place.
It was also under her guidance that Villa reached the FA Cup semi-final, the furthest they have ever gone in the tournament.
In her three years there, she has brought players such as Rachel Daly, Jordan Nobbs, and Scotland captain, Rachel Corsie to the club.
With two matches left this season, Villa are seventh in the Women’s Super League table, with six points between them and sixth place, Tottenham Hotspur.
Ward told Aston Villa: “To step down from my post here at Aston Villa has been the hardest decision of my managerial career, but I know it is the right one for my family and I.
“Managing a great club like Aston Villa has been a full-throttle job and I have always given the role 100 per cent dedication. However, I now believe it is the right time for me to prioritise the other important things – such as my daughter and the rest of my family life.”
Featured image courtesy of Elliott Brown via Flickr. No changes were made to this image. License details found here.