Tanya Oxtoby

Tanya Oxtoby’s background

Born in Wickham, Western Australia, Tanya, was a centre-back during her playing days, where she played for Doncaster Rovers Belles and captained Western Waves in the Australian Women’s National Soccer League and Perth Glory Women in the W-League. Whilst playing for Doncaster, in 2012, she agreed to manage the Nottingham Forest Women, whilst keeping up with her playing duties. In 2012, she put her dual English–Australian citizenship to use and headed back to the UK to join Doncaster Rovers Belles as a player, and Nottingham Forest Ladies as a manager. From Doncaster Rovers Belles, she moved to Everton, before hanging up her boots and becoming the Development Team Manager at Notts County Women.

In 2015, Tanya headed back to Australia, returning to the club she once captained, Perth Glory, and signed as their Assistant Coach. She helped guide the team to their only Premiers Plate, as well as their first ever Grand Final. The same year, she also set up Tanya Oxtoby Football Coaching, her own coaching and mentoring business for female footballers and coaches, whilst also working with the Australian under 20s team, as an Assistant Coach and Video Analyst.

Following a successful stint back in Australia, in early 2016, Tanya was offered the positions of Head Coach and Director of Development as well as Assistant Coach at Notts County Women and Head of Women’s Football and Futsal at the University of Nottingham. From there, Tanya was recruited by Birmingham City Women to become an Assistant Coach with the first team, before going on to manage Bristol City Women, where she won two Manager of the Month Awards, as well as, creating a record-breaking points tally for Bristol in the 2018-19 WSL season.

She stepped down from that role in August 2021 to go on maternity leave, and returned to coaching a month later, becoming Assistant Coach for Scotland Women’s national football team and, most recently, Chelsea Women’s Assistant Coach. In her first season at Chelsea, she has helped the club win the Women’s Super League, the Women’s FA Cup and become runners up in the Continental Cup.

Tanya worked as one of the lead pundits for Optus Sport at the 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia. Directly after that, in August of the same year, Tanya was offered and accepted the role of Manager of the Northern Ireland Womens Team.

Away from the pitch, Tanya can be found hunting for good coffee, playing in the garden with her little boy Albie or reading him The Hungry Caterpillar.