Aston Villa sign Staniforth from Man Utd

Aston Villa Women completed the signing of Lucy Staniforth on Monday, with the England midfielder joining on an 18-month deal following the termination of her Manchester United contract.

Staniforth joined United from Birmingham City in 2020, going on to make 41 appearances in all competitions for the club. She previously played for Sunderland, Lincoln and Liverpool.

The 30-year-old has 17 caps for England and was part of the squad at the 2019 World Cup, where the team finished fourth.

"She's a winner and is someone who can play off both sides as well as centrally. We're delighted to have her at Aston Villa," manager Carla Ward said.

Villa also signed England international Jordan Nobbs from Arsenal earlier this month. They are seventh in the Women's Super League (WSL) standings with 12 points from nine games, and next host Tottenham Hotspur on Jan. 14.