Former Southampton Saints boss Vanessa Raynbird has swapped the red and white stripes for the blue of south coast rivals Portsmouth.

The woman who led Saints' march into the national elite of the FA Women's Premier League has been appointed director of football by Portsmouth FC Ladies.

Raynbird had been part and parcel of the Southampton scene for 21 years as player and manager but lost her job last summer when the merger with Southampton Football Club was going through. Saints wanted one of their full-time coaches to manage the women and replaced her with John Donoghue.

Since then Lower Swanwick-based Raynbird has kept herself busy running the Hampshire senior and under-18 representative sides and scouting for England.

Portsmouth are currently top of the South West Counties Combination League and keen to progress into the FAWPL Southern Division next season. Said Raynbird: "They have a good structure in place and I will be working closely with all the managers and coaches to develop the club further.

"Portsmouth are extremely ambitious to play at the highest level and I hope I can go some way to helping them achieve it."

Southampton Saints' Una Nwajei should be back in time to face Oldham Curzon tomorrow in the WFA Cup fifth round at AFC Totton (2pm).

The 24-year-old striker has been warm-weather training with the England squad in La Manga this week, but the players are due to fly back tomorrow in time for the Cup programme.