Former Liverpool manager Matt Beard cause of death confirmed: Women’s football ‘icon’, 47, was found hanged at his home

Former Liverpool women’s manager Matt Beard was found hanged at his house before dying, the coroner’s court has heard. 

Coroner John Griffiths told a hearing on Monday that paramedics were called to his home in Deeside, Flintshire, before he was taken to hospital. 

Beard died aged 47 in the the Countess of Chester hospital at 9.15pm on Saturday, October 20. 

The coroner’s office in Ruthin, North Wales, heard that Beard suffered a ‘devastating brain injury’ caused by hanging. 

A full inquest will follow at a later date after the hearing was adjourned. 

Beard was in charge of Liverpool twice during his 17-year career in women’s football management, winning back-to-back league titles in 2013 and 2014. He was most recently in charge of Burnley, but resigned after two months in charge. 

Former Liverpool women’s team manager Matt beard was found hanged in his home before dying in hospital 

Football was plaunged into shock and grief when it emerged that Beard had passed away

An outpouring of love towards Beard flowed after news of his death, with many paying tributes to an ‘icon’ of the women’s game, as he was described by Manchester United boss Marc Skinner. 

His brother, Mark, called him the ‘most amazing, caring man who was loved by anyone who had the pleasure to meet him’.

His son, Harry, posted a touching tribute alongside photos of them together, writing: ‘Love you dad, [19]78-[20]25. Always will miss you.’

He wrote in a separate post: ‘Suicide is never the answer, reach out. Call 111, or 999. Please don’t take your own life, we all miss you dad.’

Harry added in another post: ‘Never failed to make me laugh, even when having a bad day, he always used to say, “I bet I can make you smile” and he always did.’

Premier League and Women’s Super League clubs have since paid tributes to Beard ahead of their matches.

Liverpool’s women’s team honoured him by singing Matt Beard’s Mighty Reds in the 13th and 14th minutes against Sunderland last week. One banner read: ‘Liverpool was made for Matt and Matt was made for Liverpool.’

Defender Jenna Clark said: ‘In the past few days we’ve also been reminiscing about all the stories of “Beardy” in training and the type of person he was.

Fara Williams was part of Beard’s back-to-back title winning Liverpool teams in 2013 and 2014 and found back the tears as she paid trubute to him on BBC Sport

‘It has been really difficult, it’s not been a lot of time. A lot of staff and players have been up and down.

‘We remember him so well and there have been some good stories being shared so we’ve had smiles on our faces at times. He would have liked that. We’ll remember him as the happy character he was.’

Former Chelsea boss Emma Hayes describing Beard as a ‘champion of the women’s game’.

The USWNT boss wrote: ‘Can’t quite compute this. Absolutely one of the best humans.

‘Always available for a chat, one of the good guys. A champion in the women’s game and a top bloke. So gutted for his family.’

He began coaching in the women’s game in 2008, and had stints at Chelsea, Millwall Lionesses and West Ham alongside Liverpool.

Chelsea said in a statement that Beard ‘helped shape Chelsea Women’ during his three-year tenure and credited him for ‘laying much of the foundations’ ahead of Hayes replacing him in 2012 before she embarked on a trophy-laden spell.

He went on to win WSL titles in his first spell in charge of Liverpool, between 2012 and 2015. On returning to the club in 2021, he secured promotion back into the top flight in his first season, before guiding them to a fourth-placed finish in his second.