Defender Anna Patten has returned to Women’s Super League club Arsenal after studying and playing in the US for the last four years.

Patten played in Arsenal’s academy before she moved to study sociology at the University of South Carolina and Florida State University.

The 21 year-old said: “It's such an amazing feeling. Obviously I've been at the club since I was 12, so to be back and be able to fully sign for the team really is like a dream come true.”

And manager Joe Montemurro added he is always looking for potential senior players in the club’s academy.

He said: “I'll always look for signings from within and if we can promote players, that's what our academy is there for. 

"But also, to be able to be creative with the signings and so on - we think that she suits the Arsenal mentality, the style of play we want and the beauty of it is that we can work to improve her. It's not as if she's a ready-made player, there's still room for improvement so it's exciting going forward for all of us.”