Everton sign Hayley Ladd from Manchester United
Hayley Ladd Credit: Martin Doherty (ETPhotos)
Everton have completed the signing of Wales international Hayley Ladd from Manchester United on a permanent deal for an undisclosed fee. The experienced 31-year-old, who can play in both defence and midfield, becomes the Toffees’ fourth signing of the January transfer window.
Ladd, who has earned over 90 senior international caps for Wales, expressed her excitement at joining a squad she described as “competitive” and praised manager Brian Sorensen’s approach.
“I’m just really excited to be here and to get going,” Ladd said in her first interview with evertontv. “It’s an amazing club with a big history, especially in the women’s game. It’s a real privilege and a pleasure to be here.
“The squad, first of all, looks really competitive, and there are obviously loads of top players. With Brian, he’s really impressive. I think he’s got clear ideas of how he wants to play. It’s great to play under a manager who’s got those ideas and really wants to dominate the ball. I’m really excited just to get started working with him.”
Ladd previously played for Arsenal, Birmingham City, Bristol City, and Manchester United, where she won the club’s Player of the Season award for 2019/20.
She has also played abroad during a loan spell in Finland with Kokkola Futis 10.
The signing of Ladd adds to an already active January window for Everton, who have brought in France forward Kelly Gago on a permanent deal, as well as Spain Under-23s defender Martina Fernandez and teenage midfielder Emma Watson on loan.
Ladd hopes her arrival will further strengthen the team. “Having watched Everton this season, you can see there’ve been some really good performances, and hopefully adding more players to the mix will add to that,” she said.
“Everton have been a team that have succeeded in this league for a long time, so you know there’s a brilliant foundation there and hopefully we can finish the season really well. I’d like to think the sky’s the limit in terms of what we can achieve now, and hopefully I can add to that and contribute in any way possible.”
Manager Brian Sorensen described Ladd as a valuable addition to the squad, emphasising her experience and versatility.
“Hayley is a player who we believe can bring a lot to our squad – both with her experience in the dressing room and versatility on the field,” Sorensen said.
“We’ve had a strong start to the January transfer window, and I’m very pleased to see Hayley become our newest signing.”
