Toronto FC head coach John Carver has stepped down from his job.

The club announced Saturday that Carver had "tendered his resignation with the club for personal reasons."

"We would sincerely like to thank John for his work with Toronto FC during his time here," the club said in a statement. "We appreciate all his hard work in helping this team become more competitive, and we wish him all the best."

Carver, 44, released his own statement Saturday, saying he enjoyed his time with the club.

"The team is in great hands and I know they will all keep working towards our goal of reaching the playoffs," Carver said in the statement.

"I have worked with some top international players in my time, and we've got some here in Toronto, but this group is the best bunch of guys I've ever worked with. I also want to thank the fans, they are some of the best without a doubt and I hope they keep supporting this club for a long time to come."

The surprise resignation caught many by surprise, including Toronto Mayor David Miller, who commented on the departure on Twitter.

"Carver quits!?? In the middle of the season? Sad," Miller wrote on Twitter on Saturday afternoon. "Good passionate coach. Hope the Personal Reasons aren't serious. Will miss his ref comments."

Assistant coaches Chris Cummins and Nick Dasovic will handle coaching duties for Sunday's game.

Carver has been head coach of the Toronto FC squad since Feb. 1, 2008.

The team went 11-15-10 under his Carver's watch.

The club will decide how to handle the vacant coaching post in the coming days.

Club Manager and Director of Soccer Mo Johnston will speak to the media after Sunday's game against the Kansas City Wizards.

With files from The Canadian Press