Man City confirm deal for USWNT star Carli Lloyd

The captain of the U.S. women’s national team has moved to England to play for Manchester City.

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Carli Lloyd, 34, will arrive in Manchester in March after she plays for the USWNT in the 2017 She Believes Cup and it is expected she will head back to the U.S. by June.

Man City are the reigning champs of the FA Women’s Super League (they went the entire season undefeated) and Lloyd will help them in the Spring Series, FA Women’s Cup and their UEFA Women’s Champions League campaign, the final of which is on June 1. If they the UCL final, Lloyd confirmed she will play in it. It is thought she will then return to her current club, the Houston Dash of the NWSL, for the remainder of the 2017 season which is due to begin in April.

The two-time reigning World Player of the Year has never played professionally outside of the U.S. in her storied career which has seen her make 232 appearances for the USWNT, scoring 96 goals which included the famous hat trick in the 2015 World Cup final when the U.S. beat Japan 5-2.

Speaking about her move to City, Lloyd is excited for a new challenge.

“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,” Lloyd said. “Having played in the US throughout my career, the chance to fulfill 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.”

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Lloyd is now one of three American players to move over to England and become part of the WSL, with her U.S. teammate Heather O’Reilly signing for Arsenal and Crystal Dunn joining Chelsea Ladies.

The full 2017-18 FA WSL campaign will run from September until May, marking the first time it has ever taken place during the winter months. Hence why there is a Spring Series to help bridge the gap.

It will certainly be intriguing to see if these top U.S. players will attract more fans to watch the WSL in England and Wales, as the league has been growing steadily in recent years.

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