Arsenal ladies have lost their Scottish coach Tony Gevraise 7 months into his first season as head coach. Tony Gervaise will return to the role he progressed at the club as Director of the Youth Academy.

Taking the position of head coach will be Laura Harvey who was previously the Assistant of the academy, and reserve team manager. The ex Birmingham City player, who joined the club in 2008, is 29 year of age and becomes the first female coach in the club's history.

"It's a really proud moment for me. In women's football, especially domestically, it doesn't come any bigger than Arsenal. When you set out to coach and you know this is your dream and your love, you want to make it the best it can possibly be and in my eyes it doesn't get much bigger than this. I'm looking forward to my new role and also the challenge of taking on the responsibility of the team, which starts with our FA Cup quarter-final fixture against Doncaster on Sunday."

Even though Arsenal had lost 2 games this season they were at the time of writing 4 points behind the leaders Sunderland but with 6 games ( 18 points) more to play. The decision has come as a shock to everyone in English football as Arsenal ladies prepare to play European champions Duisburg in the Champions League last 8 ( March 10 + 14).

It will also signal Europe's leading clubs who will be interested to see how this will effect many of the club's young stars, considering many of them were brought to the club by Gervaise. One name that stands out from the rest is Kim Little. The current U21 World Player of the Year and Scotland international has known Gervaise for over 5 years and will consider him to be a major inflluence in her development.

Too add to Little is Jennifer Beattie, the strong versatile 20 year old who joined from Celtic. She made her name as a player in teh senior squad for Scotland's EURO 2009 qualifying games. There is newly recruited Littlejohn, such a teenage talent that she went straight into the starting line-up for her first game against rival's Chelsea. Natalie Ross another who came from Hibernian and is making her way back from injury.

A major part of the first team squad it will be interesting to see how new leadership will effect them and the rest of the squad.

Tony Gervaise is one of the top youth coaches in the world with 22 years of experiences.

footballgirl.com