Four new appointments have been made to The FA women’s performance team, focusing on developing the elite women’s pathway.
Kay Cossington has been named the new head of women’s player development and talent.
Cossington, who has spent more than a decade working across England youth teams, will lead on the development of players through the pathway and in international teams. She will also create an inclusive Talent ID strategy to sit alongside it.
Recently, Cossington has been the strategic and technical lead through two comprehensive restructures of the elite talent pathway, which has seen the introduction of the new three-tier Regional Talent Club system, in addition to the implementation of the Regional Development Programme and National Performance Camps.
She has held a number of head coach and assistant coach positions across the England age groups, including assisting Mo Marley in their 2009 UEFA U19 Women’s Euros gold medal win. She also led the Women's GB team to a gold medal finish at the World University Games in Kazan 2013.
Emma Coates and Rehanne Skinner have been appointed as national specialist coaches. They will work with the national coaches to develop and practically deliver a comprehensive, world-leading strategy, including team tactical and individual technical components, for England players and teams from U18 – U20.
Coates joins from FA WSL side Doncaster Rovers Belles where she has been head coach since June 2016. She also worked as an FA Skills coach for three years and delivers FA Education courses.
Skinner returns to The FA after spending 10 years at the organisation, before moving to the USA to work for Massive Soccer Academy as lead elite development coach for 13-19-year-olds. She joins from the Football Association of Wales, where she was both senior team assistant manager and Women’s U19s head coach.
Jamie Annerson has been named England youth goalkeeping coach. He joins from Sheffield United where he was head academy goalkeeping coach.
He will work to develop a comprehensive, world-leading goalkeeping strategy for England Women’s teams and talent pathway, along with national goalkeeping and specialist coaches. He will also lead the practical delivery of the strategy.
Annerson, a former Sheffield United, Rotherham United and Bradford City goalkeeper, has previously worked with the England Women’s Next Gen and U23s squads.
David Faulkner, FA head of women’s performance, said: “We have been system-building for the women’s game and identifying the areas where increased strategic development will bring real benefit, with the player at the heart of everything we are doing.
“These appointments are all crucial in driving the elite women’s game forward and delivering the technical, performance and wider support that our talented young players need to achieve their potential.
“I look forward to working with Kay, Emma, Rehanne and Jamie to deliver these strategic changes.”
