Kerri Welsh says Aston Villa will always hold a special place in her heart as she prepares to bid farewell after serving the club with distinction for the past 11 years.
Welsh is leaving her role as Girls Academy Under-21 Coach to join The FA, where she will work with England Under-17s.
Before moving into coaching in 2020, she spent eight years as a player for Aston Villa Women, helping the club to achieve promotion to the Super League in her final season.
“The club means a lot to me. The decision to leave was not an easy one,” Welsh reflected.
“Whenever you spend a significant amount of time in an environment it always holds a special place in your heart.
“It was a really tough decision to leave this behind. I’ll always follow the club. It’s been a huge part of me.
“I’ve grown up here, made some amazing friends, made some amazing memories and those things will stay with me.”
Welsh initially joined Villa from Everton in 2013, setting about breaking into the first team.
Then a classy forward with an eye for goal, she battled back from two ACL injuries during her time in claret and blue to ensure she could finish her playing career on her own terms.
Welsh was named club captain upon her return from the second of her long injury lay-offs ahead of the 2018/19 campaign, before helping the team achieve promotion the following season.
“It was huge, especially with the amount of injuries I had,” she said of her pride at becoming captain.
“I had the support from the club and individuals who were here at the time to get me back on the pitch.
“Then to have the honour of being the club captain and being a part of the team that won the Championship is a memory that’s going to stay with me forever. It’s something I’m incredibly proud of being a part of.”
Welsh added: “They’re some of the best memories I made here as a player.
“Yes, the season got cut short (because of the Covid-19 pandemic) but we ultimately got what I believe we deserved. We worked exceptionally hard that season and there was a lot of work that went on behind the scenes from players and staff.
“The group as a whole was one of the closest and tight-knit that I’ve been a part of as a player. To be a part of that Championship-winning season is something that’s going to be a part of the club’s history, and I’m really proud to be a part of that.”
The triumphant campaign was the last of Welsh’s playing career, and she promptly joined the Girls Academy as an Under-16 Coach to pass her knowledge on to the next generation.
She progressed to the Under-21s as an assistant before becoming lead coach, with several of the club’s young players going on to make debuts for the senior squad.
“I was always really grateful to the club for supporting my transition away from playing,” Welsh said.
“Sometimes that can be quite difficult when you finish and don’t really know what’s next. To have the club’s support in that and for them to invest belief and time into me at the start of my coaching career was something I’m really grateful for.
“It’s been a really good journey that I’ve learned a lot from. It’s helped me in being able to take the next step in my coaching career.”
As her journey with Villa draws to a close, Welsh was able to reflect upon how far the whole club, and in particular the women’s side, has come since she arrived at Bodymoor Heath.
“The time that I’ve been at the club represents the investment that I’ve wanted to put into ensuring the women’s and girls’ game grows here,” she said.
“We’ve come a very long way since I walked through the door a long time ago. There’s been lots of successes, lots of highs, lots of lows and to say that I’ve been a small or a big part in those moments is something I’m incredibly proud of.
“It’s something that I’ll remember for a very long time.”
Welsh added: “The women’s game was at a very different point when I was coming through the age groups as a young player.
“The investment that the club has put into the women’s game and the team has been magnificent and the success that the group have had to get to where they are now is amazing.
“To have been a part of that journey and to be leaving the club in the best place it’s been for a long time is something I’m really proud of.”
