Manchester United’s head of women’s football Polly Bancroft is set to take up a position as a chief executive of an English Football League (EFL) club after informing players and staff of her decision to leave her role at the end of the season on Wednesday morning.
United appointed the former Brighton & Hove general manager into a newly-created role as their head of women’s football in October 2022. Bancroft was tasked with overseeing the strategic direction, operations and performance of the women’s first team and academy. She worked closely with women’s first-team manager Marc Skinner and football director John Murtough.
Bancroft was also involved in player contracts and one of her biggest tasks upon her arrival was negotiating Alessia Russo and Ona Battle’s renewals. Last summer, Russo joined Arsenal while Batlle returned to Barcelona.
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Bancroft is not the only member of the women’s set-up to leave in the last 12 months. Skinner’s assistant Martin Ho departed last summer and took up the head coach position at Norwegian side SK Brann Kvinner on a two-year contract, guiding them to the group stages of the women’s Champions League.
The former women’s head physio Ibrahim Kerem moved over to Erik ten Hag’s side in winter and, while former England women’s head physio Alicia Tang replaced him on an interim basis, the club are advertising for another replacement until the end of the season.
United suffered a 3-1 defeat at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday and sit fourth in the Women’s Super League, seven points adrift of the Champions League qualification spots. They return to action after the international break against West Ham on March 3.
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(Charlotte Tattersall – MUFC/Manchester United via Getty Images)
