Sarina Wiegman appointed as England Women’s first foreign manager with Dutch boss to succeed Phil Neville after Tokyo Olympics in 2021

Sarina Wiegman will make history next year when she becomes the first foreign manager of the England Women’s team.

The Dutchwoman will succeed Phil Neville after the Tokyo Olympics which has been rescheduled to next year. She is currently in charge of Holland until then too.

The 50-year-old, who has signed a four-year deal and will replace Phil Neville who is under contract until July 2021.

The postponed Tokyo Games are due to run from July 23 to August 8. The FA are yet to decide who will manage Great Britain during this tournament.

‘England is the cradle of football and I’m very much looking forward to contributing my experience and expertise to this ambitious team,’ said Wiegman.

‘The ride with the Oranje Lionesses has been amazing so far, but we haven’t reached our final destination yet.

‘I am extremely excited by the prospect of leading England women in the future.

‘For now, I am 100 per cent focused on Oranje. I will do my utmost to add another chapter to their remarkable journey before making my next step.’

The FA’s director of women’s football Baroness Campbell said Weigman was their ‘No 1 choice’.

‘It speaks volumes for the progress of England women over recent years and the bold ambitions we have for the future that we had so many world-class candidates apply for the role.

‘Sarina is the perfect cultural fit for us, which is crucially important in building a winning team.

‘Her technical expertise, leadership skills and winning mentality is hugely impressive.’

Weigman first major tournament in charge of the Lionesses will be the Women’s Euro 2021, which has been postponed until July 2022 because of the coronavirus pandemic, on home soil.