Former England captain Casey Stoney has been named coach of the Canadian women’s soccer team.
The 42-year-old Stoney most recently was coach of the San Diego Wave. Stoney joined the NWSL expansion team in 2021 and was named the league’s coach of the year in 2022 but was let go last June with the Wave mired in a seven-game losing streak.
Stoney has signed a three-year contract with Canada Soccer that runs through the next World Cup, with an option for 2028.
“Canada has a proud tradition in women’s football, and I am excited to work with such a talented group of players,” Stoney said in a statement released by Canada Soccer. “Together with the federation’s new leadership, we will strive to build on past successes and continue to grow the sport in Canada on and off the field.
“I look forward to the journey ahead and to engaging with the incredible passion of Canadian soccer fans.”
The sixth-ranked Canadian women have been without a permanent coach since Bev Priestman was sent home during the Paris Olympics last summer due to the drone-spying scandal. Priestman, assistant coach Jasmine Mander and analyst Joey Lombardi are all serving a one-year FIFA ban for their role in the scandal and are no longer with Canada Soccer.
A defender, Stoney won 130 caps for England and captained Great Britain at the London 2012 Olympics. She retired in 2018, after stints with Arsenal, Charlton, Chelsea, Lincoln and Liverpool, to join then-England women’s coach Phil Neville’s coaching staff.
“Casey’s track record of successful leadership, her values and strength of character, and her lifelong dedication to the advancement of women’s football make her the right person to lead our national team into its next chapter,” Canada Soccer CEO and general secretary Kevin Blue said.
Several former national team members played a critical advisory role in the hiring process, including Stephanie Labbé, Diana Matheson and Erin McLeod,
Canada Soccer noted Stoney will start with the Canada women in February at the Pinatar Cup, a three-match series in Spain.
