- Willie Kirk was sacked by Leicester City women’s team in March 2024
- He was fired after he admitted to having a relationship with one of his players
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Ex-WSL boss Willie Kirk has revealed he is seeking a second chance in football after being sacked by Leicester City last year.
Kirk, 46, was sacked by Leicester’s Women’s team in March 2024 after admitting to having a relationship with one of his players.
He was dismissed following an internal investigation that deemed he had breached the team’s code of conduct.
But, 12 months on, Kirk is determined to get back into the game after previously working in women’s football for 14 years.
He revealed he has continued to apply for jobs since being sacked by Leicester, but is yet to get close to returning to the touchline.
‘I have applied for every WSL and Championship vacancy since I lost my job, apart from Arsenal and Manchester City,’ Kirk told BBC Sport. ‘I never got one interview.
Willie Kirk (pictured) was sacked by Leicester’s women’s team last year after admitting to having a relationship with one of his players
Kirk wants to get back on the touchline and feels he deserves to be given a second chance
He admits he crossed the line with his behaviour, but insists he did not commit a ‘serious crime’
‘I let myself down in terms of what happened at Leicester. I understand why clubs haven’t wanted to get involved, I can see why people will be upset.
‘But in the grand scheme of things I’ve not committed a serious crime. There is no jail term, but it feels like there has been a jail term.’
Personal relationships between a coach and a player are not illegal as long as no minors are involved, but they have been criticised due to the potential imbalance of power between the two individuals.
Kirk had separated from his ex-wife when the relationship with the player began, and he insists the relationship ended before Leicester’s investigation started.
Kirk admits that he crossed a line, and he did not receive any compensation from the club after he was found to have committed gross misconduct.
However, he now feels he warrants a second chance in football, and has even suggested that moving into the men’s game could offer him a ‘clean break’.
‘I have done enough in the game to deserve a second chance, but it’s not me that is going to decide that,’ Kirk added. ‘I need to keep doing what I am doing. Keep applying, keep working on myself. It’s frustrating but it’s also understandable.
‘I have learned a hell of a lot and you never want to go through a year like I have been through. It affects everything – your professional life, your personal life, your finances, your emotional well-being.
‘Being part of the evolution of the game, I just want to remain part of it. It feels I would be allowed to go and do my job and wouldn’t be prejudiced against if I get into the men’s game and it would be a clean break.’