Celtic women's team manager Fran Alonso departs club for Houston Dash

Celtic women’s team manager Fran Alonso has left the club to take up a new challenge in the USA.

The Spaniard departs Glasgow after four years after accepting an offer to join Houston Dash in the NWSL.

Alonso joined the Hoops from Lewes FC in 2020 and led the club to its first ever piece of silverware with the League Cup in 2021.

Back-to-back Scottish Cups followed before they narrowly missed out of the SWPL title in the dying minutes of the campaign last season.

He was also in charge for the first Champions League experience for the women’s team.

The move stateside was confirmed on Friday with Celtic currently sitting second in the SWPL.

Alonso said his experience at Celtic will live with him forever and he will always be a supporter of the club going forward.

He said: “I was not born a Celtic supporter but I will definitely die as one and I will support Celtic for the rest of my life.

“The Club, the team, the people and the Celtic community has been everything to me during the past four years and has lit up my life. It has been a wonderful adventure.

“The values, the spirit and the ethos of the Club has been everything to me and I am so proud to have held the position of Celtic manager.

“I am very sad to leave Celtic and it was a really hard decision to make. However, the new opportunity in America is one that I dreamt about since I started coaching in the women’s game and I know our Celtic supporters will understand.

“During the last four years I have given absolutely everything to Celtic, on and off the field and I am delighted that we have made history in so many occasions – our very first UEFA Champions League qualification, our very first Scottish Cup, our first win in the UEFA Champions League, three trophies won, and managed to be just minutes away from winning our very first league title

‘I would like to thank everyone at Celtic who has given me such brilliant support. How you all make us feel is indescribable.’

“I would like to thank all the players over this four years who have given everything for me and for the badge, and also thank you to my backroom team who have always walked the extra mile to help the team, on and off the field.

“Thanks to the directors and management at Celtic who gave me the opportunity of coming here and, of course, thank you to the best fans, who have really supported us in the hard times, have been behind us no matter what, and created atmospheres that will stay in our memories for the rest of our lives.

“I leave knowing that the Celtic women’s team is in a much better place than when I first joined, and I am sure, with this terrific squad we have built, it will go from strength to strength.

“I wish the Club and the team all the success, I will always be supporting you from abroad. C’mon the Hoops!”