London City Lionesses have signed Angel City duo Katie Zelem and Alanna Kennedy ahead of their debut season in the Women’s Super League (WSL), the club have confirmed.
The pair have experience in the top-flight of English football having played for the rival Manchester clubs.
Zelem captained Manchester United for four years, making over 160 appearances before departing for United States at the end of last season.
“I’m really excited to sign for London City and can’t wait to get going,” Zelem said.
“I think being the first independent team in the Barclays Women’s Super League is an amazing achievement, it feels like since I joined the league, the growth in women’s football has been exceptional. I really can’t wait to be a part of this club. Hopefully I can bring a lot of experience, knowledge and some good football to the team.”
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Zelem made her senior England debut in 2021 and has since collected 12 caps, including selection for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Kennedy, a 139-cap Australian defender left Manchester City at the end of last season as well, having spent much of her career in Australia and in the NWSL, with this now being her third club in England following spells with City and Tottenham Hotspur.
She said: “I’m excited to be part of such a historic season for the club. The ambitions of the club and what they want to do — win trophies and titles — as a player that’s what you want to do.
“It’s something that is going to take time to build, I’m excited to be a part of the early stages of this project and hopefully we can have a lot of success this season.”
London City Lionesses have made a handful of impressive signings ahead of their debut campaign in the topflight, including Italy international Elena Linari, Dutch veteran Daniëlle van de Donk, Spanish international Jana Fernández and 2022 Euros winner Nikita Parris.
They begin their campaign with a trip to the Emirates to face Champions League holders Arsenal on Sept. 6.
