Arne Slot Pays Heartwarming Tribute to Matt Beard | OneFootball

Arne Slot leads Liverpool tributes to Matt Beard

Liverpool has been united in grief following the tragic passing of Matt Beard, the former women’s team manager, at the age of 47. Beard enjoyed two defining spells at the club, lifting back-to-back Women’s Super League titles in 2013 and 2014, then guiding Liverpool back into the top flight as Championship champions in 2022. His achievements were not limited to trophies, they also included creating a culture of belief and resilience that reshaped the trajectory of women’s football at Liverpool.

Current Liverpool manager Arne Slot, who delivered the Premier League title in his first season in charge of the men’s side in 2024/25, spoke movingly of Beard’s contribution. “My reaction was one of grief,” Slot told Liverpoolfc.com. “I met him last season and he not only did great things for this football club, for the women’s team, back-to-back league titles, came back to [the] new women’s team when they were playing one division below, so that tells you probably how much he loved the club as well. If you hear a thing like this, I think 47 if I’m correct – that’s my age as well at the moment – then [you are] devastated to hear.”

Impact beyond trophies

Beard’s passing has been marked by tributes from across football, with fans, colleagues and rivals acknowledging his influence. His reputation extended far beyond his track record on the pitch.

Slot reflected on Beard’s wider impact: “I think in these moments the football world always shows itself at its best – and that’s also what happened now. It’s not only that he gets all the respect he deserves here at Liverpool but I think all around women’s football. I’ve heard and also saw the respect the Arsenal fans showed him, so that tells you how much impact he had on the game of football. [But] then we only talk about football, I think the Melwood staff and everyone that worked with him liked him so much – and that’s probably even a more important legacy to leave behind than the trophies you win. That the person you are is always more important than what you’ve won. But in his situation, both things were combined – so successful as a manager and a great human being.”

Liverpool unites in remembrance

Liverpool will honour Beard on Tuesday night at Anfield before the Carabao Cup third-round tie with Southampton. For Slot, this is more than a symbolic gesture, it is an acknowledgement of Beard’s place in the history of the club.

“It’s very important for us to pay tribute, for what he meant for this football club,” said Slot. “This football club is not only the men’s team, it’s also the women’s team and he had an enormous impact on women’s football here with Liverpool. But apart from that, it’s also his family that’s going through such a hard time at the moment. As I’ve experienced being here now for one-and-a-half years, if people are going through a difficult period, the Liverpool fans and we as a team always want to be there for the people that go through such a difficult time. That’s now the situation for his wife and his three children.”

Enduring respect for Matt Beard

The outpouring of tributes highlights how Beard’s legacy transcends footballing achievements. His leadership, humility and dedication shaped Liverpool’s women’s team and earned him respect across the sport. For Arne Slot and the entire Liverpool family, the focus is now on honouring his memory and supporting those closest to him.