On 4 February 2026, it was announced that Phelan had been appointed as the interim head coach of
Women's Super League side
Everton for the remainder of the
2025-26 season, replacing
Brian Sørensen. Speaking about the switch to managing in the
women's game, he said "People have told me that that the women's team is very important – it's not just a recent thing with the growth of the game and how the profile has improved – the presence of the women's team at Everton has been here for a long time." His first match as head coach was a 1–0 win over
London City Lionesses on 8 February 2026. Following Everton's 1–0 win against
West Ham United on 15 February 2026, Phelan became the first head coach in the club's history to lead Everton to two successive victories in the WSL. ==References==