Tom Elmes has been appointed as assistant coach of the Republic of Ireland women's squad.
The appointment comes after Eileen Gleeson, formerly an assistant to head coach Vera Pauw, departed to take up a more senior role with Glasgow City. Elmes will combine his new position with his current role as Ireland Women's under-16 boss.
Elmes previously guided Wexford Youths to success in the Women’s National League, FAI Women’s Cup and WNL Shield before taking over with the Ireland under-16s last June.
“This is a great opportunity for me to work with and learn from Vera (Pauw) 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” said Elmes of his appointment.
"I've thoroughly enjoyed my time so far with the Football Association of Ireland even if it's been a bit of a whirlwind; leading the Women's under-16s, working alongside James Scott with the Women's under-17s, being part of the WNT home-based sessions and learning from everyone involved in the international set-up through our regular interactions.
“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. I look forward to linking up with Vera, Jan Willem van Ede, Andy Holt and the rest of the staff as we set out preparing for the two home games this month.”
Vera Pauw labelled Elmes’ knowledge of the Irish domestic scene as a big asset to her coaching ticket:: “I’m delighted to welcome Tom to our team. 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.”
Slovakia and Georgia will visit Tallaght Stadium later this month on November 25th and November 30th respectively as Ireland look to build on their recent win over Finland.
Elmes will oversee an international friendly with the under-16s - away to Wales - before linking up with the senior side when they report into camp on November 21st.
