It “will not be long” until we see a woman managing a men’s professional football team, says Hannah Dingley, academy manager at Forest Green Rovers.
Dingley remains the only woman in charge of a men’s English Football League academy, since her appointment in 2019.
The 39-year-old’s role sees her develop young players with the aim of them progressing to the first-team.
“It will come in sooner than you think,” Dingley told BBC Points West.
“The success that the Lionesses are having, that Emma Hayes is having at Chelsea. There are others, really good female coaches out there who I have more than faith in would be more than capable of coaching at a men’s level.
“They’re players at the end of the day. It’s football at the end of the day, that doesn’t change. I don’t think it’ll be long before you see a female on the touchline.”
Dingley has a UEFA Pro Licence and previously worked at Burton Albion before joining Forest Green almost four years ago, as they were promoted to the English Football League (EFL) for the first time.
During her tenure at the Gloucestershire club she also initiated the launch of the FGR Girls Academy in 2021, which develops female players – mirroring their men’s setup.
Dingley said she felt a “great responsibility” as a trailblazer in the sport to encourage more women into coaching roles.
“You’ve got a responsibility as the first to open the doors for others and to encourage others,” she said.
“You always say if you don’t see it, you’re probably not going to be it. The fact that I do this I hope it encourages more females to come into coaching, into football, into different roles. I feel a great responsibility to talk about that.”