4 hours ago 1

Newcastle United Women sign Molly Pike

The 24-year-old spent the last two seasons with the Saints making 49 appearances in all competitions. Pike scored 13 times on the South Coast, winning the goal of the season award on two occasions, one of which was for a strike against the Magpies in February.

She spent two years with Leicester in the Barclays Women's Super League prior to her move to Southampton, featuring 46 times as the Foxes maintained their position in the top flight.

Having come through Chelsea's academy, scoring 14 goals in 17 appearances in her last season there, she signed her first professional contract at Everton. On Merseyside she made 19 appearances, before spending the second half of the 2020/21 campaign on loan at Bristol City.

The midfielder has also represented England at youth level, most recently featuring 13 times for the Under-23s.

On joining the club, Pike said: "I'm super excited! I've heard so much about the club and the city, and I just can't wait to get going.

"It was definitely the ambition of the club and the direction in which it's heading, because I want to be a part of that, I want to be able to build a legacy here."

Manager Becky Langley said: "Molly is fast and dynamic, I love her tenacity to get in behind, and she can play in a number of positions across midfield and in attack.

"She knows how to score goals and get assists at this level. She brings good experience from both the WSL and WSL2 and we are really excited to start working with her."