TOM ELMES HAS been appointed as the Republic of Ireland WNT’s new assistant coach following Eileen Gleeson’s departure.
Elmes, who will also continue in his role as Women’s U16 head coach, joins Vera Pauw’s backroom ahead of the qualifier double-header against Slovakia and Georgia later this month.
Before taking up the U16 role this summer, Birmingham native Elmes had established himself as one of the top coaches in the Women’s National League, steering Wexford Youths to a league, cup and shield treble in 2018 as well as another FAI Cup title in 2019.
“I’m delighted to welcome Tom to our team,” Pauw said on Monday.
“He is an excellent coach with a deep knowledge of the Irish game, the players available to us and, crucially, how we want to do things within the Republic of Ireland international set-up.
“Throughout my career, I’ve always worked with assistant coaches who have a strong knowledge of the national league and Tom’s experience in that area will be a fantastic asset for us in identifying and monitoring home-based players.
“It was unfortunate timing for us that Glasgow City came in with an offer for Eileen Gleeson but we fully respect and support her decision to take on that role. In Tom, I believe we have a top class coach with a lot of experience and a desire to keep on improving.”
Elmes — who is part of the current Uefa Pro Licence group — said: ”This is a great opportunity for me to work with and learn from Vera as well as the Republic of Ireland Women’s National Team players as we look to qualify for the 2023 Fifa Women’s World Cup.”
He added: ”This is a really exciting time for women’s football and I’m delighted to be asked to join a team that has been performing brilliantly for quite a while now.”
