Chelsea Ladies sign Bethany England from Doncaster Rovers Belles

Chelsea Ladies have signed Doncaster Rovers Belles’ England U23 international forward Bethany England.

The 21-year-old scored 14 times in all competitions for Belles last season to help them gain promotion back to the Women's Super League (WSL).

England is Blues boss Emma Hayes' fourth signing of the close-season, with midfielders Karen Carney and Jade Bailey, along with goalkeeper Becky Spencer, having already made the move to west London.

Chelsea assistant manager Paul Green signed England during his time at Doncaster and has backed her to impress again in new surroundings.

"Beth is a player that I've had the pleasure of working with before and I'm delighted that she has decided to join us," she told the Chelsea Ladies official website.

"Beth is a great character and a young player who is hungry to develop and improve her game.

"She has a lot of experience for a 21-year-old and has already played a lot of games in the FA WSL and knows what the league is all about.

"She will add creativity and goals to the squad and in my opinion she was the best player in FA WSL2 last season.

"I'm sure that she will prove to be a good addition to this talented group of players as we look to build on last season's achievements."

England, who plays primarily as a winger but can also drop back into midfield, admits she is delighted to have completed the deal.

'It is great to be signing for this club and I am ready for the exciting challenge ahead," she said.

"I feel I am at the stage in my career to test myself at a higher level and there is no doubt that will happen at Chelsea, not just during games but in every training session. 

"It is an honour to be here and I am just looking forward to starting training and working with top players on a daily basis."