West Ham’s Rehanne Skinner on female coaches, ambitions & scuba diving

Rehanne Skinner hopes to make a difference at West Ham as the first woman to manage the Women’s Super League side.

In a wide-ranging interview, the former Tottenham boss tells BBC Sport why the Hammers’ female leadership was important to her, what her vision is for the club, and how she dealt with four months away from the game.

‘Players shouldn’t need to go through that’

Skinner left Tottenham Hotspur in March after a run of nine straight WSL defeats, but prior to that had led the team to a fifth-placed finish in the table.

It was during her time at Spurs that she caught the eye of West Ham defender Hawa Cissoko, who said she had always hoped to work with Skinner as she was “a big fan of female managers”.

“There are a lot of really top female coaches around the country and around the world that are more than capable and maybe haven’t had the opportunities in the past,” said Skinner.

“That’s something that we need to continue to address. But I do think it’s about the experiences and not just the gender.

“You have to be approachable, be prepared to work with players so they are more open in general with you, and also be qualified to do the job.”

Cissoko said a big factor in her support for female managers was their understanding of a range of issues, including women’s health and struggles players are likely to have faced in male-dominated environments.

“I think women understand other women better. The way to interact with women, Skinner knows how to do it because she is one herself,” added Cissoko.

Skinner said she has “picked things up” during her 20-year coaching career working with women and now has a better understanding of factors that can impact performance.

“We’ve all come through a world where women’s football has not necessarily been accepted particularly well,” said Skinner.

“The most important thing for me is that people don’t have to experience some of the things I have experienced trying to become a coach at the highest level. Players shouldn’t need to go through that.

“It’s why I’m so passionate about growing the game. I want players to be able to turn up, do their jobs really well, play the game they love, inspire other people – and that’s that really.

“I’ve evolved little ways of managing things to try to help them. That’s important so they are supported to do their jobs really well.”

‘I wanted to understand West Ham’s identity’

Skinner’s priority after arriving at West Ham was to get to know the players and staff she would be working with.

She had one-to-one meetings with every player discussing their strengths, weaknesses, and ambitions, while also offering them an insight into her plans for the club.

She said it gave her “a feeling for where the team’s state of mind was”.

“I wanted to understand the identity of West Ham and what it means to be a player, coach or a kit manager here,” Skinner explained.

“I want to make sure culturally we embrace that so we can deliver to the fans what resonates with them. That’s absolutely crucial in any football club you go into.

“The first part is understanding the environment and then you can see opportunities to raise standards, add value or add structures.

“I won’t have all the answers, they won’t have all the all answers, but it’s how we can collectively put it all in place. That can achieve a lot more than just talent.”

On the pitch, Skinner’s vision is to build confidence in the team so that they feel comfortable dominating possession in games.

“Over the years I’ve paid a lot of attention to the coaches who have evolved that style of play,” said Skinner.

“I’ve tweaked bits myself, tried things, didn’t like them, moved them on, and eventually got to where I am at the moment.”

Scuba diving, dogs, films and golf lessons

West Ham lost to Manchester City in their season opener before beating Brightonand Skinner is now preparing her side for Saturday’s trip to defending champions Chelsea.

It has been a busy start for Skinner, who was brought shortly before the end of the WSL transfer window, but her life isn’t always dominated by football.

“I think it’s important to get an actual mental break,” she said.

“Throughout your career you have different highs and lows. It’s important to come away from it completely and spend time with family.”

Skinner was able to do that following her exit from Spurs and enjoyed the company of her dogs – a cocker spaniel called Alfie and a sproodle named Luna – as well as doing some other hobbies.

“Literally, my dogs are my sanity! They have very different personalities so I like spending time with them and taking them out to different places,” said Skinner.

“I like to play golf – badly. I’ve been having lessons again. I’ve had some bad habits over the years! I love watching films. I don’t watch TV but films or sports documentaries.

“I also like doing different things when I go abroad. I like scuba diving, for example. That’s probably not something that people would know.

“I’ve done some brilliant dives in Thailand but I learned to dive in Australia, and I saw a whale shark, which obviously sticks in your mind when you’ve seen something of that magnitude.”