Former Leeds United manager Neil Redfearn has taken a new job in football with WSL2 side Doncaster Belles.
Redfearn guided Leeds to a 15th placed finish in the SkyBet Championship in the 2014/2015 season. However is was a season where the shadow of Massimo Cellino and his madcap ways loomed over the Whites.
Redfearn was forced to deal with the Italian’s meddling, the sacking of his first-team coach and what equated to a mediocre set of transfer dealings that saw below-par playing stock brought in to the club.
It was clear that Redfearn and Cellino were at odds at times and the life-long Leeds fan in Redfearn saw his contract not being renewed at the end of the campaign.
He would then go onto take the Rotherham United job, and returned to Elland Road one game to find he’d not been allocated a parking permit. Try as he might to revive the Millers fortunes, it wasn’t to be and he was prematurely sacked after just 21 games in charge, leaving the South Yorkshire side in 22nd place in the SkyBet Championship.
Redfearn’s move to women’s football should not be thought of as a sideways move. Currently, Doncaster Belles are currently sat top of WSL 2 having gone unbeaten this season with former manager Emma Coates leaving her role to fill up a position with the FA.
Leeds United fans react to Redfearn’s new job:
Former boss Neil Redfearn has become head coach of Doncaster women's football team. Good luck to him👍#LUFC https://t.co/9t02AS3OJp
— Neil Summers 💙💛 (@neilyboy1919) December 29, 2017
https://twitter.com/LeedsFanz/status/946773224280510464
https://twitter.com/St_Jigzy/status/946764015568646144
Congrats to Redfearn and Donny Belles, good appointment https://t.co/HZdIal4p4r
— Chris Galton 💙🤍💛 (@chrisgalton) December 29, 2017
Good Luck, Neil Redfearn! Good appointment for The Belles! https://t.co/R5rwpg7bn9
— Dan Samme (@DanSamme) December 29, 2017
Good luck to @Neil_redfearn – top man https://t.co/Fw0G4KTJL5
— Nigel Adderley (@nadderley) December 29, 2017