Arsenal teenager Laila Harbert has signed her first professional contract with the club.
WSL Full-Time were informed of the news via an official club press release from The Gunners this afternoon.
The 18-year-old midfielder is in her ninth year with the North Londoners. Harbert is still awaiting her senior debut for Arsenal, however, she has represented the first team in a couple of friendly matches in the last 12 months.
Last season saw Harbert get her first taste of senior football. She spent time at former Barclays Women’s Championship club Watford. The midfielder made 14 appearances for The Golden Girls in the second tier but was unable to prevent the Hertfordshire club from slipping through the relegation trapdoor before returning to Arsenal.
On the international stage, Harbert has captained England at Under-17 level and continues to progress with The Young Lionesses.
Harbert is one of Arsenal’s most highly-rated young players and the club have therefore moved to retain her services on a professional basis.
After signing her first professional contract, Harbert said “It’s such a proud moment for me and my family to be able to put pen to paper on a professional contract at a club that feels like home. I joined Arsenal’s academy at such a young age so to be able to invest my future in a place that I’ve grown up in is a special feeling.”
Harbert will now continue her development with a view to pushing for competitive first team minutes at Arsenal in the coming years.
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