Carla Ward (born 21 December 1983) is an English football coach and former midfielder who currently serves as the head coach of the Republic of Ireland women's national team. After a distinguished playing career that included over 200 appearances and 100 goals for Sheffield FC, she moved into management, taking charge of Sheffield United in 2018 and later Birmingham City in 2020, where she steered the team away from relegation despite significant player complaints about facilities. In May 2021, she joined rivals Aston Villa, where she achieved a 5th-place finish in the 2022/23 WSL season and reached the FA Cup semi-finals, with new signing Rachel Daly winning the Golden Boot. She stepped down from Villa in 2024 and was appointed Republic of Ireland head coach in January 2025, guiding them to promotion to the top division of the UEFA Women's Nations League via a dramatic 5-4 aggregate play-off win over Belgium. Her individual accolades include two WSL Manager of the Month awards (September 2022 and January 2023).