Manager Matt Beard dies at 47: Farah Williams barely holds back tears.

Unbearable loss: Farah Williams remembers Matt Beard

id='6379890651112' data-video-id='6379890651112' data-account='5067014667001' data-player='default' data-usage='cms:WordPress:6.5.6:2.8.6:javascript' data-embed='default' class='video-js' data-application-id='' controls style='width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; top: 0; bottom: 0; right: 0; left: 0;'>

According to The Sun: Farah Williams couldn’t hold back tears as she remembered her former coach Matt Beard, who passed away at the age of 47.

Williams played for Beard's Liverpool team, which twice won the title in the Women's Super League.

PA

The former Chelsea women's team coach passed away on September 20, and condolences quickly began to arrive.

Williams was working at the BBC alongside Alex Scott and Steph Houghton when she expressed her deep condolences to Beard.

“It’s a difficult day. I tried to talk a bit about him on Five Live earlier, it's hard.”

“Steph said, he meant so much to all of us. He will be missed.”

Williams held back tears, receiving support from Houghton and Scott, who noted: “Matt was a leader, he was a mentor and a coach.

“His love for the game will leave a lasting impact on football.”

“Everyone at the BBC extends their deepest condolences to Matt's family, friends, and loved ones, as well as everyone in the football community during this difficult time.”

Matt Beard began his career in 2008 with Millwall Lionesses and never coached men's football professionally. He spent three years at Liverpool, moving there from Chelsea in 2012 after three seasons with the 'Blues.'

In 2016, he joined Boston Breakers for 12 months, and in 2018 he returned to England to work with West Ham.

id='6379860358112' data-video-id='6379860358112' data-account='5067014667001' data-player='default' data-usage='cms:WordPress:6.5.6:2.8.6:javascript' data-embed='default' class='video-js' data-application-id='' controls style='width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; top: 0; bottom: 0; right: 0; left: 0;'>

Matt Beard, who tragically left behind a wife and two children, spent two seasons with 'the Martians' before moving to Bristol City in 2021.

He then rejoined Liverpool from 2021 to 2025 before making his final career move to Burnley — but left in August after only two matches in charge.

The Liverpool match against Aston Villa was postponed following the tragic news, during which other clubs honored Beard's memory with a minute of silence.

Getty

Farah Williams, looking somber on Radio Five Live, said:

“He was more than a coach. A fantastic mentor to me, a wonderful friend.

“A person who saw potential in me that I perhaps didn’t see in myself. When I had tough times outside of football, he was there.

“He was like an older brother. We laughed together, had a similar sense of humor. A simple person who cared for everyone.”

“I wish he could see this and feel it from all of us, as he was truly unique. He had the purest soul. He cared deeply about women's football and was there from the very beginning.'

“When he got an opportunity in this game, he was fully focused on trying to push the game forward.”

“And I’m sure he would be proud of where the game is now, and his part in it.”

Beard and Williams in a 2014 photoGetty Farah Williams shared heartfelt memories of Matt Beard, remembering him not just as a coach, but as a close friend and mentor. This tragedy highlights the importance of the support that coaches provide to their players and leaves a deep mark in the hearts of many in the football world. The tribute to Beard is happening not only at the team level but also among fans who gathered to honor his contribution to women's football.