“I’m broken” was how Casey Stoney reacted to her sacking as San Diego Wave’s manager last year. To be fair, a valid response from the English tactician, considering she not only led the NWSL side to two trophies as their inaugural head coach but also signed a contract extension in January 2024, keeping her at the helm until 2027, with an option to extend through 2028. Yet, a seven-game winless streak was enough for the Wave to not only leave Stoney without a job but also ‘stuck‘ without a home!

Talk about wise old people saying when it rains, it pours. The 42-year-old must have already felt devastated after getting canned. But becoming homeless with her wife and three kids was something Casey never anticipated. “Your job is tied into your visa, it terminated all of our visas with immediate effect, and we were stuck in the UK without a home,” admitted Stoney during an exclusive chat with The Times. “That obviously provided challenges when you’ve got three young children [twins Tilly and Teddy, ten, and Willow, seven].”

Luckily, much like she used to find ways for her team to secure a win by refining tactics on the sidelines, the former Manchester United women’s boss was able to steer her family from the predicament. “We were angry for a little while, but then we worked to get a sponsor [for a visa] to get back to San Diego, and that was a conscious decision as parents,” explained Casey.

A sad reality for those enjoying a career in sports is that every decision must be carefully considered, as one wrong move can impact not only their on-pitch dynamics but also their off-pitch lives. Such was the case for Casey, as leaving her kids behind was something she simply couldn’t afford.

“If we [had] put them in a school in England, that’s one change, and then if I got a job, it’s another change. Whereas if we just went back to San Diego, they go back into the school, our house was sat there, the car on the drive. I’d come home [to the UK] for a funeral and got the call as soon as I landed,” added Stoney.

Who would have thought that the former NWSL manager had to face such challenges with her family after getting sacked? After all, that led her to question whether she even wanted to keep up with her coaching career!

Casey Stoney admits San Diego Wave exit was ‘brutal’, but she came back strong

Getting sacked means another door might just open for you. However, the way things ended between Casey Stoney and the San Diego Waves led the iconic English player to reconsider her career path. “At first I questioned whether I wanted to stay in the game after that, because it was just so brutal,” Stoney said. “Then I was like ‘I can’t let one thing or one situation impact my whole career.’ I’ve worked too hard for that.”

Thankfully, Stoney decided to carry on with her managerial career. Good things come to those who wait as fast forward six months, she has a job. In fact, quite a fancy one, having been appointed as Canada Women’s National Team manager earlier this week. And guess what? This new role even allows her to continue residing in San Diego with her family and take on this significant international challenge, which indeed comes with its own set of hurdles!

Why you ask? Well, she is taking over the reins from Bev Priestman, who was banned by Fifa for a year for a drone scandal at the 2024 Paris Olympics. So, one of Stoney’s top priorities will be to re-establish trust, and she is confident that she will be able to do that as she considers her integrity to be unquestionable. Going forward, both Stoney and the Canadian team will be looking to get over their recent setbacks and focus on winning the World Cup in 2027.