Martyn Irvine is eager to impress in his new role as Interim Head Coach of Albion Women.
The 39-year-old joins to take on Siobhan Hodgetts-Still’s duties throughout her period of maternity leave, and he arrives with plenty of useful experience under his belt.
Born in Stoke-on-Trent, Martyn began his working life with the British Army at the age of just 16, where he was able to develop his leadership skills throughout the formative years of his life in the role as a soldier and an Electrical and Mechanical Engineer.
Working across three combative deployments in the Middle East, Irvine was awarded a Commanding Officer's Commendation for outstanding service and contributions, as he used his critical thinking to demonstrate his expertise in the highest-pressure situations.
After 12 years of exemplary service, the new Baggies boss was unable to keep his love for football aside from his career.
Irvine was appointed Head Coach of Crewe Alexandra Ladies U18s in the summer of 2016 - alongside starting his own coaching business and a variety of footballing roles, before moving onto pastures new at Macclesfield Town and then two years at Port Vale as a Youth Development Phase Coach.
He also worked for four years with The Football Association, tasked with mentoring coaches as they make their way into the game and progress through qualifications.
One of Martyn's most valuable football-related challenges came when he joined Stoke City Women as the club's Assistant Head Coach, where he aided Head Coach Marie Hourihan in accelerating the Potters' progress in the FAWNL Northern Premier.
Across that spell in the bet365 Stadium dugout, Irvine played a part in a fifth-placed finish in March of 2024, before departing 10 months later, as they went on to achieve a best-ever league position in the third tier (3rd).
Alongside his role at the Potters, he continued his endeavours in helping coaches achieve their UEFA coaching badges with The FA, where Martyn also possesses a UEFA A Licence, UEFA A Elite Youth License and FA Advanced Youth Award amongst many other qualifications.
He then progressed into a role with the Staffordshire FA, where he's worked since 2023 to date, leading across areas including coaching and coach development.
Martyn's most recent role in football was with Nottingham Forest as an Academy Coach, and he arrives at the Albion with the hunger to provide interim success ahead of the 2026/27 season.
