Brentford Football Club have announced the appointment of Lydia Bedford as head coach of their under-18s side. Bedford, 35, is thought to be the first woman to hold a coaching position at a Premier League club. She will be joined by Jon-Paul Pittman, who will be joining as assistant coach from Forest Green Rovers. Bedford has had a successful career in coaching, having guided Leicester City Women’s team to safety in 2021-22 after joining with the club bottom of the Women’s Super League. She also served as an assistant coach for Arsenal Women’s team this season.
The club expressed their delight at the appointments, saying that they had undertaken an extensive recruitment process and that Bedford and Pittman were the two best candidates. Bedford has been coaching since 2008 and earned her Uefa Pro Licence in 2019. She has also managed England women’s sides at under-15, U16 and U17 levels.
Brentford’s senior team finished ninth in the Premier League this season under manager Thomas Frank in their second top-flight campaign since earning promotion from the Championship.