West Ham midfielder Cho So-hyun has spoken about how she has been affected by the departure of head coach Matt Beard.

The 32 year-old, who made her WSL debut in 2019, told of her sadness and credited Beard for improving her as a player.

She said: "I have taken a few days to comment as the news was very sad for me.@mattbeard02brought me to the WSL. I learned so much from him. 

“He made me a better player. I have so much respect for him as a coach & person. Thank you Matt for making good memories that I will never forget!”

So-hyun, who plays for South Korea, has made 21 appearances for West Ham. 

Beard was at the club since 2018 and led the team to an FA Cup final in his first year and two mid-table finishes across two seasons. 

Birmingham City manager Carla Ward is West Ham's priority target to replace Beard, according to the BBC.