Liverpool Feds WFC manager Leanne Duffy has hailed the structure at the club as she approaches her 250th game in the hot seat.
Duffy will mark the staggering number of managerial appearances next month.
Her team reached fourth-place in the league after their 2-0 victory against West Bromwich Albion last month and she insists her focus is the club and not personal accolades.
Duffy, an ex-Everton Women’s star, led the team into Tier Three of the Women’s Football League two seasons ago, after taking over as first team manager in 2019. She says she has been lucky to have been involved for so long, after joining as assistant manager in June 2015.
She said: “Longevity in this role would not be possible without a good support system around me. I’ve been lucky to have been surrounded by great coaches and committee members but more importantly good people.
“The goal since I joined the club was always to get into Tier Three – for Liverpool Feds to be amongst the biggest names in the country.”
With the dual-role responsibilities her football commitment is balanced alongside full-time work in the UK’s Ministry of Justice. The time and dedication put into her work shows as she continuously juggles the responsibilities of planning in the morning and starting her work day soon after.
“You’d generally focus on analysis or session plans in the morning, and then go into my daily work. It can get intense, but remote work allows me to enable this,” she said.
The release of FEDSFILM.com filmed by sponsors Creative Players gave an in-depth reality as a first team manager battling against money from certain powerhouses. With the Liverpool side being put on the big screen last summer, Duffy’s ambition to grow the name has certainly worked.
She explained: “This was a special event. What Leigh Moore and the CP Team put together was incredible. It captured our first season of Tier Three in raw detail.
“The game is changing all around us as more clubs receive the benefit of being linked to their male counterparts. This is why I love the club so much. It will always be a challenge to compete financially without our sponsors and fundraising, but we are competing and we’re fourth.”
But Duffy dismisses her own efforts and put the growing club in the spotlight.
“I’m not really in the game for personal rewards and accolades,” she said.
“What really makes me proud as I hit my 250th game is the progress I’ve seen the club make. We want to grow the game and grow the name.
“We have 10 games and a county cup to compete for. We will continue to build on what we achieve this season and look to continually develop on and off the pitch.”
