Joe Montemurro has been unveiled as the new head coach of the Matildas, ending a 10-month search for a new coach.

Montemurro has signed a three-year deal that runs until the end of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.

The 55-year-old Australian, who was most recently coaching French giants Lyon and has never previously coached at international level, replaces Tony Gustavsson in an appointment which is long overdue.

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Gustavsson did not have his contract renewed after last August’s group stage exit at the Paris Olympics and since then the Matildas have been in limbo.

Football Australia had the chance to make a move on Montemurro, who missed out to Gustavsson in 2020, in the months leading up to the Olympics.

“I haven’t got a scripted speech because I want to speak from the heart,” an “emotional” Montemurro said on Monday.

“I’m here because of the love of the game here and the opportunity to come back (home).

“For me it’s a massive occasion and I’m probably going to struggle with words to tell you how much it means to me personally inside.”

The Melburnian coached the A-League Women All Stars in May last year when he was without a job.

He then signed a deal with Lyon six weeks out from the Paris Games at a time it was widely known Gustavsson had no genuine appetite to extend his deal.

He credited FA interim chief executive and Matildas great Heather Garriock for keeping in touch over the past year while, he says, he had to respect his contractual situation with Lyon.

“There were a lot of interesting twists and turns along the way to get here,” Montemurro said.

“Lyon’s an amazing club and I had an amazing season there. The situation was to continue the process but I assessed a few things, and I said to myself, my wife and my family, this is now an exciting cycle for the Matildas — the Asian Cup, World Cup, Olympic Games, the opportunity was too good.

“Plus there’s something inside of me that was just telling me it’s time. I had to make a hard decision, a very difficult decision, but I believe the decision standing here now is the right one.”

The flow-on effect of FA’s go-slow approach has been that the ageing Matildas squad have been treading water for the best part of a year.

The belated appointment of Montemurro has left Australia up against it heading into next year’s Women’s Asian Cup on home soil.

Interim head coach Tom Sermanni has done his best to keep the squad motivated through a series of friendlies that have only helped FA cash in on the popularity of the Matildas or in the case of a 4-0 defeat to Japan earlier this year, highlighted why next year’s Asian Cup will not be a walk in the park.

Former Arsenal and Juventus manager Montemurro now has just a handful of international windows to put his stamp on the team.

He will take charge of his first game against Slovenia in Perth later this month.

Sermanni will sign off as an interim coach in Monday night’s friendly with Argentina in Canberra.

“I have to thank Tommy Sermanni. It being a non-qualifying year ... it’s actually been positive because Tom’s been able to bring in some players and give opportunities, stabilise the situation,” Montemurro said.

“It’s all set up really for me to take over with the staff and bring it to the next level.

“Is the Asian Cup winnable? Of course it is, of course it is.”

Montemurro said he would seek to bring Sam Kerr back into the fold from her ACL injury and even shared his hope that Mary Fowler could make a shock comeback from the same setback in time for the Asian Cup.

“My intention is to sit down with all the players, even the extended squad, and just map out a process through the profiling to play the brand of football and from a physical perspective, and even from a mental perspective,” he said.

“Sam fits into that scenario, where we’re going to assess and monitor where she’s at. Let’s get her fit and right and go from there.

“Mary’s a special player. I can tell you from a top club perspective, she’s in the eye in a lot of big clubs. It’s unfortunate for her but she’s in probably the best environment with the (Manchester) City Group.

“She’ll be right and hopefully she’ll be right for the Asian Cup.”

Montemurro said he wants to work closely with the Junior (under-17) and Young (under-20) Matildas staff on the pathway for players to step up to the senior side.