West Ham United is delighted to confirm the appointment of Rehanne Skinner as women’s first-team manager.
The 43-year-old arrives with nearly 20 years of experience working within the women’s game, including a three-year spell at the Football Association, where she coached England’s U19, U20 and U21 development teams and was then assistant coach for the national team.
More recently, Skinner spent two-and-a-half seasons as manager of Tottenham Hotspur in the Barclays Women’s Super League, leading them to their highest ever finish in the WSL, finishing fifth in the 2021/22 campaign.
Skinner, who will join up with her squad next month after completing contractual media commitments at the Women’s World Cup in Australia, says that she can not wait to get started and is looking forward to building on the foundations already in place at the Club.
“I’m delighted to be joining West Ham United,” she told West Ham TV. “There have been a lot of conversations between myself and senior figures at the Club around what the plans are moving forward, and I'm just really excited at the prospect of leading the team.
“I think the big thing for me is that the Club is well established and there's been some fantastic work done before now. Now we are at a stage where we really want to drive that forward and progress on that previous work.
“There is a great sense of togetherness, along with serious long-term ambition at West Ham United. I think the challenge of delivering that is really exciting, and I'm really looking forward to having the opportunity to work with the players and lead towards the vision that the Club has.”
Watch Rehanne Skinner's first interview with West Ham TV!
West Ham United Vice-Chair and director of the women’s team Board, Baroness Brady shared her pride in appointing the Club’s first female manager since earning Women’s Super League status in 2018.
Baroness Brady said: “I am delighted to be able to confirm the appointment of Rehanne Skinner as our new women’s team manager.
“Everyone at West Ham United takes real pride in our role as an equity leader and, having recently restructured the women’s Board, we are proud to welcome Rehanne as our first female manager in the Barclays WSL.
“Her vast experience, knowledge and proven track record in the women’s game is hugely impressive. We feel that Rehanne is the perfect candidate to lead our team into the new WSL season and a key part of our renewed focus on growing and developing our women’s team.”
General Manager Aidan Boxall also shared his excitement at the prospect of working with one of the most highly-regarded female coaches in the game.
“We are all delighted that Rehanne has joined the Club,” he said. “Her experience and success, both in the domestic and international game, is something that we will all be able to learn from moving forwards.
“Her desire and determination to take this team forwards has been evident from the first time that I spoke with her and I’m really excited to work with Rehanne.”
Before joining Spurs, Skinner worked at the Football Association, where she was England women's national team assistant head coach to Phil Neville in 2020, and also the women's national head coach of the U18-U21 section in 2017.
Skinner was also assistant manager at Arsenal during a successful period between 2010 and 2013, that saw the Gunners lift two Women's Super League titles, two Conti Cups and one FA Cup, as well as reaching the UEFA Champions League semi-finals on two occasions.
Skinner was also Team Great Britain assistant coach to Kay Cossington at the World Student Games in 2013, where the team won gold, before spending time overseas coaching in Florida. In 2016, she returned to the UK, this time with the Wales women’s national team as assistant manager.
In her playing days, Skinner represented Middlesbrough and Leicester City, before working her way up the coaching ladder at the Foxes – taking on the roles of Girls Centre Of Excellence technical director, girls U19 academy director, community manager and women’s first team manager.
Everyone at West Ham United would like to welcome Rehanne to east London and we look forward to seeing her side in action in the 2023/24 season.
