Hornets Academy coach Damon Lathrope has been appointed as the new boss of Watford Women.

The UEFA A Licence holder was an assistant coach with the Golden Girls at the end of last season, combing that with his role with the club’s youth set-up.

Women’s general manager Amber Wildgust told the club’s website: “We are pleased to announce Damon as our head coach for the forthcoming season.

“He brings a lot of experience from his professional career and has a proven ability to create a high-performance environment and culture that maximises the potential of players while producing results.

“We are really looking forward to the new campaign. We hope it is a season full of success where we can build for the future.”

A former midfield who progressed through Norwich City’s Academy, Lathrope made more than 150 appearances during two spells at Torquay United, either side of playing for Aldershot Town.

He joined Woking in 2018 but was forced to retire after suffering a serious leg injury in a game against Boreham Wood.

Following the end of his playing career, Lathrope was appointed Hitchin Town Under-19’s coach.