England International striker Ellen White became Manchester City’s first signing of the close season after joining on a two year contract.
White, 30, joined from Birmingham City after the departure of fellow England striker Nikita Parris.
White, who also had stints at Notts County and Arsenal, was the Women’s Super League top scorer in the 2017/18 season and was also named the Vauxhall England Women’s Player of the Year in 2018.
She will also be hoping to add to her 80 international caps with England at the Women’s World Cup in France next month and was confirmed to have the number 18 shirt alongside eight players who helped City lift a domestic cup double – the Women’s FA Cup followed a Continental Cup win.
White has 28 goals for the national team, the latest coming 34 seconds after the second half restart in a friendly against Spain at Swindon Town’s County Ground in April.
Commenting on her move to Manchester City, White said:
“I’m really excited. Manchester City are a fantastic club.
“I know many of the players here and they’ve given me so many great reviews on the coaching, the facilities, the way City play, and I really wanted to join that culture.
“I can’t wait to get started, to meet everyone and to get on the pitch.
“I still want to learn, I still want to develop, and I think I’m really going to do that here.
“I want to be in an environment and with a group of players that have that same winning mentality, that same professionalism, that same commitment and passion [I do], and I think that’s a great fit [for me] at City.”
Nick Cushing, manager of City’s double cup winning women’s team, added:
“Ellen is somebody we know will lead the line well for us and give us the opportunity of scoring more goals and dominating games offensively.
“She’s an ambitious player that wants to win trophies and that’s what we want at Manchester City.
“We’ve played well this year, we’ve won two trophies, but to make that next step, we know we need characters in the dressing room that are going to push this team forward and she is one of them.”
England Women Squad Numbers for the Women’s World Cup in France
1. Karen Bardsley
2. Lucy Bronze
3. Alex Greenwood
4. Keira Walsh
5. Steph Houghton
6. Millie Bright
7. Nikita Parris
8. Jill Scott
9. Jodie Taylor
10. Fran Kirby
11. Toni Duggan
12. Demi Stokes
13. Carly Telford
14. Leah Williamson
15. Abbie McManus
16. Jade Moore
17. Rachel Daly
18. Ellen White
19. Georgia Stanway
20. Karen Carney
21. Mary Earps
22. Beth Mead
23. Lucy Staniforth