Melanie Copeland
Personal information
Full name Melanie Reay Copeland
Birth name Melanie Reay
Date of birth c. 1981 (age 42–43)
Height 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)
Position(s) Forward
Team information
Current team
 Sunderland (manager)
Youth career
0000 Sunderland
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
0000–2006 Sunderland
2006–2010 Newcastle United
Managerial career
2008–2010 Newcastle United (assistant)
2015–2017 Sunderland (assistant)
2017– Sunderland
2018 England U23
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Melanie Copeland (née Reay)[1] is an English professional football manager and former player who manages FA Women's National League club Sunderland.

Club career

As a teenager, Copeland joined the Cowgate Kestrels, which later went on to become Sunderland.[2] During the 2002–03 season, she scored 17 goals and shared the FA Women's Premier League Northern Division Golden Boot with Oldham Curzon's Kelly Dean.[3] The following season, she won the Golden Boot again.[4] During the 2004–05 season she scored 16 goals in 22 appearances, helping the Lady Black Cats win the Northern Division.[5] In her last season at Sunderland, she made 18 appearances, scoring 5 goals.[5]

Copeland joined Newcastle United in 2006.[2] She scored 9 goals in 4 appearances for the reserves and 18 goals in 21 appearances with the first team.[5] The following season, she scored 2 goals in 3 appearances for the reserves and 26 goals with the first team[5] and was once again recognised as the FA Women's Premier League Northern Division top goalscorer at the FA Women's Football Awards in London.[6][7] During the 2008–09 season, she scored 4 goals in 2 appearances for the reserves and 16 goals in 14 appearances for the first team. In her last season at Newcastle United, she made 9 appearances, scoring 3 goals.[5]

Coaching career

Copeland began her coaching career at Gateshead College in 2001,[8] and later she coached at the Newcastle United Centre of Excellence.[2] In January 2008, while still playing for the Magpies, she stepped up to take over the role of assistant manager to Neil Baistow, replacing Rob Atkin, who became the club's head coach.[2] Baistow and Copeland both left Newcastle United at the end of the 2009–10 season.[9]

Sunderland appointed Copeland as assistant head coach ahead of the 2015 season.[10] In March 2017, she became head coach, replacing Carlton Fairweather.[11]

In August 2018, she was put in charge of the England women's U23 national team for the 2018 Nordic Tournament in Sarpsborg, after being released by Sunderland and Gateshead College for the trip.[8][12]

Personal life

Copeland is the cousin of Alan Shearer.[13]

Career statistics

Managerial

As of 15 January 2019.
TeamFromToRecord
GWDLWin %Ref.
England U2329 August 20183 1 1 1 033.33 [14]
Sunderland16 March 201752 24 5 23 046.15 [15][16]

Honours

Player

Sunderland
Individual

References

  1. ↑ Lightle, Sam (21 October 2017). "FA WSL Preview: Copeland raises the bar". Sunderland A.F.C. Retrieved 29 September 2018.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Hutchinson, Lisa (9 June 2008). "Striker Melanie is just Shear class!". Chronicle Live. Retrieved 29 September 2018.
  3. 1 2 "Eniola's the best Young Player". The Football Association. 29 May 2003. Archived from the original on 8 June 2003. Retrieved 27 June 2018.
  4. 1 2 "The best feeling ever - goal machine Kelly". Women's Soccer Scene. 14 May 2004. Retrieved 20 October 2018.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 "Melanie Reay player profile". The Football Association. Retrieved 25 November 2011.
  6. ↑ "Jill named Player of the Year". Women's Soccer Scene. 23 May 2008. Retrieved 29 September 2018.
  7. 1 2 "Melanie's Goals Are Shear Class". Newcastle United F.C. 29 May 2008. Retrieved 29 May 2018.
  8. 1 2 "Academy Coach Becomes England Boss". Gateshead College. 29 August 2018. Retrieved 29 September 2018.
  9. ↑ Clark, Steph (23 April 2010). "Management duo to leave United Women". The Journal. Retrieved 29 September 2018.
  10. ↑ Graham, Michael (15 January 2015). "The Wearside Football Success Story - Sunderland Ladies". Roker Report. Retrieved 29 September 2018.
  11. ↑ "WSL 1: Melanie Reay replaces Carlton Fairweather at Sunderland Ladies". BBC Sport. 16 March 2017. Retrieved 29 September 2018.
  12. ↑ "England squad named for annual Nordic Tournament". The Football Association. 23 August 2018. Retrieved 29 September 2018.
  13. ↑ Johns, Craig (16 March 2017). "Sunderland Ladies appoint new head coach - And she's the cousin of Newcastle legend Alan Shearer". Chronicle Live. Retrieved 29 September 2018.
  14. ↑ Frith, Wilf (4 September 2018). "#YoungLionesses finish runners-up at Nordic U-23 Tournament". SheKicks. Retrieved 9 October 2018.
  15. ↑ "Sunderland W.F.C." Soccerway. Retrieved 15 January 2019.
  16. ↑ "Sunderland AFC Ladies : Results". The Football Association. Retrieved 15 January 2019.
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