Herrera brings Atlético experience to Manchester United Women staff

Manchester United Women have appointed Jose Herrera as assistant head coach, with the Spaniard replacing Scott Rogers and joining Eva Olid’s staff alongside Gavin Beith and Dan Bale. The club confirmed the change, adding an experienced coach with spells in Spain and Saudi Arabia to the first-team set-up. It is a direct change to Olid’s coaching group, with Rogers having now left United.

Herrera joins Olid’s coaching staff

The appointment was reported on Friday 2 October 2026, following confirmation from Manchester United. Herrera will support Olid alongside Beith and Bale, while Rogers departs the assistant-manager role he took up in 2025. The club has not identified Rogers’ next destination.

United’s coaching structure under Olid is taking shape with Herrera’s arrival. Olid is the women’s first-team manager, and Herrera’s assistant role places him directly within the group responsible for supporting her work with the squad.

United’s recent appointment of Eva Olid established the team’s current leadership. Herrera now joins that set-up with experience across several clubs and countries, rather than stepping into an unfamiliar coaching environment.

A varied coaching career across Spain and abroad

The 36-year-old began coaching at 16 and holds a UEFA Pro Licence. He was head coach of Málaga CF Femenino in 2019, moved to Granada in 2020 and spent three seasons at UD Tenerife, where he initially worked as an assistant before becoming head coach in 2023.

Herrera then managed Al-Hilal Women during the 2024-25 season before taking charge of Atlético Madrid’s women’s team in January 2026. He guided Atlético to the Copa de la Reina final, where they lost 1-3 to eventual winners Barcelona. His previous experience against United includes Atlético’s 0-5 aggregate defeat to the Reds in the Champions League last 16 in 2025.

The appointment adds a coach with senior experience in Spain and a spell in Saudi Arabia to United’s staff. His recent run at Atlético also included a domestic cup final, even though the side fell short against Barcelona.

Appointment comes during an improving run

Herrera arrives as United recover from a difficult start. They lost their opening two league matches against London City Lionesses and Chelsea after going without a pre-season win, but responded with a draw against Arsenal and three consecutive victories.

That run included a 10-1 win over Sheffield United, while the latest reported result was a 5-1 Players’ Cup victory against Durham. The Durham result gives Herrera a team arriving off a convincing win, rather than one still searching for its first positive stretch of the campaign.

The Arsenal draw was another step in that recovery, and came before the three-match winning sequence. United’s performance against Arsenal offered an early sign of a response after the opening defeats; Herrera now joins the staff as that momentum builds.