Manchester City Women’s Football Club today released the statement below (embargoed until 15.01, given the worldwide interest in this story it’s understandable they wanted to have the opportunity to officially announce it first themselves) finally confirming the well circulated news that a certain USWNT star has rocked up in Manchester for the next few months.
She joins fellow World Cup and multiple Olympic Gold Medal winner Heather O’Reilly (Arsenal) and rising American star Crystal Dunn (Chelsea) in crossing over from the U.S. to play in the FAWSL, albeit only for the Spring Series:
Manchester City Women’s Football Club is delighted to announce the signing of Carli Lloyd for the 2017 Spring Series, FA Women’s Cup and UEFA Women’s Champions League campaign.
The US Women’s National Team captain, FIFA Women’s World Cup champion and current FIFA Women’s Player of the Year, joins Manchester City Women following a landmark season for the Club.
Manchester City Women celebrated double success by winning the Women’s Super League Title and FA WSL Continental Tyres Cup, in a season where the team remained undefeated throughout the League campaign, and continued to break domestic attendance records in the women’s game.
Lloyd will begin training with the squad in early March following the She Believes Cup in the United States and will feature in Manchester City’s UEFA Women’s Champions League quarter final tie against Danish side Fortuna Hjorring.
Commenting on her move to the League Champions Lloyd stated:
“I’m incredibly excited to be joining Manchester City, a Club which is leading the development of women’s football both on and off the pitch”.
“Having played in the US throughout my career, the chance to fulfil a long held ambition to test myself in a new footballing environment, as well as playing in the Champions League, is something I am relishing”.
“With the challenge of the Spring Series and the FA Women’s Cup ahead of us too, I really can’t wait to pull on my City shirt in front of our fans and make them proud”.
Nick Cushing, Head Coach of the 2016 League and Cup Double Champions, said:
“We are a successful team but a young team too, having only entered the Women’s Super League three years ago, so adding players to our squad with substantial experience is crucial to our development”.
“Carli has had an incredible career and is recognised as one of the best in the world. There is much we can learn from her that will help us to improve as a team. We are all looking forward to working with her over the coming months”.
