Orlando Pride’s head coach Marc Skinner says World Cup star Alex Morgan’s ‘last-minute’ loan deal to Tottenham will benefit everyone involved.

Morgan’s move to Spurs from the National Women’s Soccer League club was agreed on September 10 - transfer deadline day for the WSL.

Skinner said: "I know Alex will come back a better player from the experience. It was very much a last-minute move, an enquiry from Tottenham anyway, because I think they'd had other targets and it became available on the last day before their transfer window.

"I had a conversation with Alex and, once we'd had that conversation, it was very clear it was the right direction for her to get more games.

"It will benefit Orlando, Alex and the national team, through Alex playing more games."

Before Morgan agreed the loan deal, she was due to return to the pitch for the first time since having daughter Charlie in May in the NWSL Fall Series.

She had returned to team training and Skinner was hopeful to get her involved in the matches but he added the Fall Series will be used as an ‘experiment’.

"We're happy with the decision. We’d love to have Alex in our team, but it will give Orlando a benefit going forward. Although these games are competitive, we're only playing two teams twice.

"It's almost a way for us to experiment with players that we don't know so much about, and then we'll welcome Alex back in to pre-season next season."