An inquest has been opened into former Liverpool and Chelsea Women manager Matt Beard’s death, a coroner’s court heard on Monday.

Beard died in hospital on September 20 aged 47 after paramedics had been called to his home. Liverpool’s game with Aston Villa was postponed the following day while a minute’s silence was held at every Women’s Super League game.

The hearing in Ruthin, North Wales was adjourned for a full inquest at a later date.

Beard managed Liverpool between 2012 to 2015 and again from 2021 to 2025. He also had spells at Chelsea Women, Millwall Lionesses, West Ham Women and most recently a short spell at Burnley Women.

Beard coached Liverpool to back-to-back WSL titles in 2013 and 2014. During his second spell in charge, he helped them win promotion back to the top flight before leading them to a seventh-placed finish.

He won the WSL Manager of the Season Award in the 2023-24 campaign – the second time he had won that prize in his career.

‘Beard transformed women’s game when few cared’

England winger Nikita Parris told the Pitch to Pod podcast Beard had “transformed” the women’s game in England when very few cared.

London City Lionesses forward Parris, who came up against Beard teams on numerous occasions, said the two-time WSL winner made sacrifices for the women’s game when not many people cared about it.

“He transformed women’s football in England just through sheer wanting to and caring,” Parris said.

“Not many people did when the game was getting watched by like 50 fans on a cow patch, there was not many people interested in the women’s game then and he continued to stay, to thrive.

“His family made sacrifices, he made sacrifices in order to push this game forward and I hope he’s honoured in the right way because he just totally deserves it.”