Neil Redfearn exclusive interview: 'There was no way I could turn Liverpool down. It's an honour to represent them'
When Neil Redfearn was insulted, derided and effectively forced to leave Leeds United, he had no idea he would eventually return to football as the manager of a women’s team, but it is a path he expects others to tread.
Having quit as Academy director of Leeds United in July 2015, just a month after he had been sacked as first team manager, Redfearn returned to management with Rotherham United in October, but lasted just four months.
It was the sort of failure that can brand careers and, regardless of what else you have achieved, mould perceptions of you. The media work that was offered to him filled the time, but not the void.
When he was approached by Doncaster Belles last season, he did not really know what to expect, but he enjoyed it far more than he could have hoped. After impressing in south Yorkshire, the 53-year-old was head hunted to take charge of a new-look Liverpool side that is desperate to close the gap on England’s elite three - Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City.
By his own admission, Redfearn has been invigorated by the switch to such an extent that he can now argue he prefers coaching female players.
“It’s coaching at the end of the day, there isn’t a difference once you’re out on the grass,” Redfearn explained. “You’re going into an elite sport environment with elite athletes and that is what matters.
“What I’ve found and it’s something I really like is just how keen the players are to learn, they want to get better and they listen intently to what you have to say and try to act upon it. They really want to pick your brain, they are so interested in the game and they want to do everything they can to improve.
“For a coach, that’s a brilliant environment to work in. It does make my job easier; it makes it more enjoyable because of it. It’s a fantastic environment to be in. I had the six or seven months at Doncaster Belles, when I just wanted to get back into the game, back out on to the grass, back working, and I loved it. From a coach’s point of view, it’s perfect.
“I didn’t go into the women’s game with a plan, I just wanted to get back out there again. When Liverpool approached me in the summer, what that club stands for and represents, I couldn’t say no. I’m really excited about the future. It’s a big challenge, we’ve had a big turnover of players in the summer and it’s going to take some time to gel.
“There was no way I could turn down the offer, you should be proud to represent a football club like this. What the club stands for, what the people of Liverpool stand for. It’s a fantastic honour to represent them.”
Asked whether he expects more male coaches to look for opportunities in women’s football, Redfearn added: “I don’t see why not.
“Obviously, Phil [Neville] is the England manager and I’ve come across and I don’t think we will be the last. The quality of the women’s game continues to grow, clubs are more organised and there are more of them. All the top clubs are represented by a women’s team and there are more opportunities for coaches.”
Redfearn’s success has eased the pain of the past, but those final bruising days at Leeds United, under the volatile Italian owner Massimo Cellino, did hurt him.
“I don’t think it soured things for me, but it was disappointing,” he said after a long pause. “I was coaching there for eight years and, in the time I was there, you saw a lot of quality players come through and I was very proud of that.
“When I was offered the manager’s job, we were nearly in the bottom three, we got out of trouble, we had a really good run. It was a tempestuous time for the club, there was a lot going on behind the scenes, but that doesn’t sour my experience of Leeds.
“I was a Leeds United supporter as a kid, it’s a great club and I enjoyed my time there. There aren’t many people who can say they managed their boyhood club.”
