Laila Harbert

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Laila Harbert

| full_name = Laila Minnie Harbert

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|2007|01|03|df=y}}

| birth_place = England

| currentclub = Arsenal

| clubnumber = 60

| position = Midfielder

| youthclubs1 = Arsenal

| years1 = 2025–

| clubs1 = Arsenal

| years2 = 2023–2024

| clubs2 = →Watford (loan)

| caps2 = 14

| goals2 = 0

| years3 = 2025

| clubs3 = →Southampton (loan)

| caps3 = 9

| goals3 = 0

| nationalyears1 = 2021–2023

| nationalteam1 = England U17

| nationalcaps1 = 31

| nationalgoals1 = 5

| nationalyears2 = 2024–

| nationalteam2 = England U19

| nationalcaps2 = 6

| nationalgoals2 = 1

| club-update = 30 May 2025 {{Soccerway|laila-harbert/873985}}

| nationalteam-update = 30 May 2025 {{Soccerway|laila-harbert/873985}}

}}

Laila Minnie Harbert (born 3 January 2007) is a midfielder who plays for Women's Super League club Arsenal and the England Under-19 National team.

Early life

Harbert grew up in Bexley, playing with a boys' team that her father coached. She moved to be closer to the Arsenal training grounds as she got to secondary school age, having joined the Arsenal Academy at age nine.{{Cite web |date=2025-07-23 |title=Young Gun: Laila Harbert |url=https://www.arsenal.com/news/young-gun-laila-harbert |access-date=2025-06-06 |website=Young Gun: Laila Harbert |language=en}}

Club career

= Arsenal =

On 24 May 2024, Harbert made her senior, non-competitive, debut for Arsenal in their 1 - 0 win against A-League All-Stars Women as part of Arsenal's 2024 post-season tour.{{Cite web |date=2024-05-24 |title=Report: Arsenal Women 1-0 A League All Stars |url=https://www.arsenal.com/fixture/women/2024-May-24/women-1-0-league-allstars-women-match-report |access-date=2025-06-06 |website=Report: Arsenal Women 1-0 A League All Stars |language=en}} She then went on to feature in Arsenal's 1 - 2 win against Washington Spirit, coming on as a sub for Alessia Russo in the 78th minute.{{Cite web |date=2024-08-18 |title=Report: Washington Spirit 1-2 Arsenal |url=https://www.arsenal.com/fixture/women/2024-Aug-18/washington-spirit-1-2-women-match-report |access-date=2025-06-06 |website=Report: Washington Spirit 1-2 Arsenal |language=en}}

Harbert signed her first professional contract with Arsenal on 3 January 2025 after nine years at the club.{{Cite web |date=2025-07-23 |title=Laila Harbert signs professional contract |url=https://www.arsenal.com/news/laila-harbert-signs-professional-contract |access-date=2025-06-06 |website=Laila Harbert signs professional contract |language=en}}

= Watford (dual-sign loan) =

At the start of the 2023-2024 season, Harbert signed on dual-sign agreement with Women's National League side Watford alongside fellow Young Gunners Michelle Agyemang and Katie Reid.{{Cite web |date=2025-07-23 |title=Teenage trio join Watford on dual agreement |url=https://www.arsenal.com/news/agyemang-harbert-reid-join-watford-loan |access-date=2025-06-06 |website=Teenage trio join Watford on dual agreement |language=en}}

The midfielder featured in 17 games for Watford across all competitions, scoring her first senior goal and hat-trick in a 1 - 6 win away at Southampton to keep Watford in the FA Cup.{{Cite web |date=2023-12-10 |title=Harbert hat-trick helps Watford Women into the FA Cup Fourth Round |url=https://www.watfordobserver.co.uk/sport/23980386.watford-women-overcome-early-scare-reach-fourth-round/ |access-date=2025-06-06 |website=Watford Observer |language=en}}

= Southampton (loan) =

After signing her first professional contract with parent club Arsenal, Harbert signed on loan for the remainder of the 2024-25 season with Women's Championship side Southampton FC on 23 January 2025,{{Cite web |date=2025-07-23 |title=Laila Harbert joins Southampton on loan |url=https://www.arsenal.com/news/laila-harbert-joins-southampton-loan |access-date=2025-06-06 |website=Laila Harbert joins Southampton on loan |language=en}} linking up with former Young Gunner Araya Dennis and current Gunner Vivienne Lia.

Harbert made 9 appearances across all competitions for Saints.

International career

Harbert has represented the England Under-17 and Under-19 national teams.

Harbert was part of the England squad{{Cite web |last=The Football Association |first=FA |date=3 November 2023 |title=Squad for England WU17s' EURO qualifiers |url=https://www.englandfootball.com/articles/2023/Nov/03/england-womens-under-17s-squad-euro-qualifiers-20231103 |access-date=6 June 2025 |website=England Football}} who got to the semi-final of the 2023 UEFA Women's Under-17 Championship, where they ended their run with a 3 - 1 defeat to Spain in the semi-finals.{{Cite web |last=UEFA.com |title=Spain-England {{!}} Women's Under-17 2023 |url=https://www.uefa.com/womensunder17/match/2037872--spain-vs-england/ |access-date=2025-06-06 |website=UEFA.com |language=en}}

The midfielder later captained the Under-17 side{{Cite web |date=2025-07-23 |title=Harbert on captaining England at U17s World Cup |url=https://www.arsenal.com/news/harbert-captaining-england-u17s-world-cup |access-date=2025-06-06 |website=Harbert on captaining England at U17s World Cup |language=en}} to the final of the 2024 UEFA Women's Under-17 Championship, where they were again beaten by Spain in a 0 - 4 loss in Malmö, Sweden.{{Cite web |last=UEFA.com |title=England-Spain {{!}} Women's Under-17 2024 Final |url=https://www.uefa.com/womensunder17/match/2040551--england-vs-spain/ |access-date=2025-06-06 |website=UEFA.com |language=en}}

Towards the end of 2024, Harbert was also given the Captain's armband for the 2024 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup as England looked to overcome their previous defeats by rivals Spain. This however, was not to be. The England side were defeated again in the semi-finals by the Spanish, and then beaten by the United States in the third-place playoff to come fourth in the World.{{Cite web |last=FIFA |date=6 June 2025 |title=Fuller shines as USA secure podium place |url=https://www.fifa.com/en/tournaments/womens/u17womensworldcup/dominican-republic-2024/articles/usa-england-match-report-highlights |access-date=6 June 2025}}

Harbert made her Under-19 debut in the Albir Garden Tournament in yet another defeat to Spain, starting all three of England's games in the tournament.{{Cite web |date=2025-03-04 |title=Women's February 2025 International round-up {{!}} Southampton FC {{!}} News |url=https://www.southamptonfc.com/en/news/article/womens-international-round-up-trio-in-england-action |access-date=2025-06-06 |website=www.southamptonfc.com |language=en-gb}}

Playing style

A highly technical player with excellent vision and a commanding presence on the pitch, Harbert is known for precise passing, both short and long, with an impressive ability to unlock defences.{{Cite web |date=2025-01-03 |title=18yo Arsenal midfielder signs first professional contract |url=https://dailycannon.com/2025/01/arsenal-harbert-contract/ |access-date=2025-06-06 |website=dailycannon.com |language=en-US}}

Career Statistics

class="wikitable" \|+Appearances and goals by club, season and competition ! rowspan="2" \|Club ! rowspan="2" \|Season ! colspan="3" \|League ! colspan="2" \|League Cup ! colspan="2" \|FA Cup ! colspan="2" \|Total
Division !Apps !Goals !Apps !Goals !Apps !Goals !Apps !Goals
Watford (loan) \|2023-2024 \|FA Women's National League \|14 \|0 \|2 \|0 \|1 \|3 \|17 \|3
Southampton FC (loan) \|2024-2025 \|Women's Championship \|9 \|0 \| colspan="2" \| - \| colspan="2" \| - \|9 \|0
colspan="3" \|Career Total \|23 \|0 \|2 \|0 \|1 \|3 \|26 \|3

class="wikitable"

|+Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

! rowspan="2" |Club

! rowspan="2" |Season

! colspan="3" |League

! colspan="2" |League Cup

! colspan="2" |FA Cup

! colspan="2" |Total

Division

!Apps

!Goals

!Apps