Renee Slegers: Arsenal manager’s ‘greatest quality’ is to empower people, says Leah Williamson

Slegers is not an unfamiliar face around Arsenal, both internally and externally.

In September 2023, she joined Arsenal as Eidevall’s assistant coach and served in the role for 13 months before making the step up.

After Eidevall departed three months ago, Slegers transformed the Gunners from a side who were sixth in the WSL after four games.

Since she took charge on an interim basis, no team has picked up more WSL points than the Gunners. Only league leaders and defending champions Chelsea have managed to emulate that form.

But despite a change in job and the team’s fortunes, Williamson has praised Slegers’ modest personality.

“It’s hard for somebody to stay the same person in the way that they act,” added the defender. “Renee is a good person and a strong woman, so I feel like she holds quite a lot of authority in what she says anyway.

“The position that she’s [in] getting to know a group of players as an assistant, you have that less pressurised relationship in terms of decision making, then to be put in that role I think puts you in better stead to make those decisions required by a head coach because you know everybody and you know the players.

“I haven’t seen her change thus far, which is great obviously because it says a lot about her as a person.”

Slegers told the players about her new deal shortly before it was made public.

But rather than focusing on her own big news, she was quick to turn the attention to Swedish defender Amanda Ilestedt who was celebrating her 32nd birthday.

“We all found out today,” said Williamson, 27. “She’s a very humble person and modest person, Renee.

“She was exceptionally uncomfortable and quickly shifted on to the fact it was Amanda’s birthday and we sang happy birthday and that finished the conversation.”