The order of service for Matt Beard's memorial at Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral Peter Byrne/Getty Images

Inside Liverpool's majestic Metropolitan Cathedral, Liverpool women's team, dressed in black, and accompanied by former and current footballers who had played under Matt Beard, formed a guard of honour to pay tribute to their beloved manager.

The players' heads bowed as Beard's brother Mark, teenage son Harry and stepson Scott were among the six men who carried Beard's coffin, adorned with red and white Liverpool scarves, down the central aisle. It was a fitting stage for a man who was "larger than life" and "had the biggest heart in the world".

The former Liverpool manager, who won back-to-back Women's Super League (WSL) titles in 2013 and 2014, died last month aged 47. On Friday, he was remembered at a public funeral where attendees were encouraged to wear whatever they felt comfortable in, including football shirts.

"I see faces I haven't seen in over 20 years, people have flown over from America to be here," said former Liverpool forward Natasha Dowie. "We all wish when Beardy looks down, he realises just how loved he was and how many people's lives he touched. When you leave the world, you want to leave it in a better place. Beardy has done that."

Among the packed congregation were some of Beard's former players, including Missy Bo Kearns (now at Aston Villa), Olivia Smith and Taylor Hinds (both now at Arsenal), retired former West Ham United players Kate Longhurst and Gilly Flaherty, as well as England international Lucy Bronze.

United States women's national team head coach Emma Hayes, Republic of Ireland manager Carla Ward, Manchester United head coach Marc Skinner, accompanied by forward Rachel Williams, West Ham manager Rehanne Skinner and Liverpool head coach Gareth Taylor, along with the club's head of women's football Andy O'Boyle, also paid their respects.

Liverpool's top record goalscorer Ian Rush and former goalkeeper Chris Kirkland were present, alongside senior boardroom figures from Liverpool, including Michael Edwards, Julian Ward, Richard Hughes, Jenny Beacham and Jonathan Bamber.

"His (impact) is immeasurable, you think of how many players he has impacted, coaches and managers," said Canada women's manager Casey Stoney.

Beard's brother, Mark, a coach at Hull City, gave a touching eulogy, reflecting on his brother's "beautiful soul" and his deep devotion to family, his "driving force". He also thanked staff at the Countess of Chester Hospital during Beard's last days, before stressing, "Please, please, please let Matt's passing be a lesson to us all. We are all human, so be more thoughtful."

Mark spoke about Matt's love for the British sitcom Only Fools and Horses and his sense of humour. He even got a laugh himself when he listed the biggest clubs in the world Beard had managed, starting with... Millwall. "He won everything there was to win," said his brother. "More important than the titles was what he brought to people."

Mark shared that when Beard passed away, he stayed at the family home in North Wales and would take their dog, Rex, a puppy from one of Flaherty's litters, out for a walk. "He'll know where to go," said Beard's wife, Debbie. Led by Rex, they traipsed across the parks, bumping into fellow dog walkers who gave their condolences, before arriving at the pub where Beard was known to locals. Rex went straight behind the bar to collect his dog biscuit. Next stop was the Co-op, Beard's favourite shop, so much so he has one of their shopping bags buried with him, and then the village bakery, his regular stop off for a sausage roll and a chat with the staff.

What Dowie, his former player, loved most about Beard is that he was himself and never changed. "Whether he was talking to a CEO, a chef or a fan, it was just Beardy," she said.

"He was so popular and it's such a devastating loss," added TV sport presenter Jacqui Oatley, whose fundraising page, set up to help Beard's family with funeral fees and the cost of living, has raised over £61,000 ($82,000).

"It's very difficult not to feel emotions of regret for what might have been of a young manager, at 47, who had so much still to offer the game. I don't feel he was respected enough by executives in the game to give him the jobs he deserved. I'm not sure why, if he didn't fit the modern mould of managers having to look and talk a certain way. I know I'm not alone in thinking he got the best out of the players he had. That's what football management is."

Beard was a father figure and a friend to many, including Dowie. "There was a reason I played under him four times," she said. Like many, Dowie will remember him for his "cheeky chappy self", "all right darlin'" cockney greeting, "big cheeky smile", the "little twinkle in his eyes" and "the big hug he always used to give that just made you feel safe and warm".

"What we always do as a family, especially here at Liverpool, is we come together," said Dowie.

The overwhelming sentiment is to ensure that his wife, Debbie, and children, Harry and Ellie, are looked after and to continue talking about Beard.

To end the service, Beard's sister, Lucy, sang a beautiful and poignant rendition of Liverpool football club's anthem, You'll Never Walk Alone, as fans held their red scarves aloft.

"The biggest impact I hope people take from this is that we are all human, we all need help sometimes and we all need to talk," said Stoney. "I hope people start taking the time to get out of their busy lives and reach out. I wish I had done more of that.

"Ask for help when you need it because it's sad that it takes this."

Never before have the lyrics, "Walk on, walk on with hope in your heart and you'll never walk alone, you'll never walk alone", seemed so appropriate.

Matt Beard's memorial service: Honouring the former WSL manager and his immeasurable impact