We’re delighted to announce that Katie Reid has put pen to paper on her first professional contract with us.
The 18-year-old centre-back and England youth international joined our academy at the age of 13 in 2019 and went on to win trophies at both Under 16 and Under 21 level. Notably, at the age of just 17, Katie played a key role in our Under 21 PGA Southern League title win in the 2023/24 season.
Katie has already been included in our first-team squad on several occasions for both Barclays Women’s Super League and UEFA Women’s Champions League matches. She made her first-team debut in our 5-0 victory over Bristol City in the WSL on 14th April 2024, while a second league appearance followed in our recent 1-0 win over Leicester City in the league.
Katie also recently joined our pre-season tour in Washington D.C., where she started and played the full 90 minutes against Washington Spirit on 18th August.
In addition to her development with our academy and first-team squads, Katie also gained valuable experience as part of a dual-registration agreement with Barclays Women’s Championship club Watford last season. She made her debut away at London City Lionesses in September 2023, making 10 appearances in total for The Hornets before being recalled to Arsenal in February 2024.
An experienced England youth international, Katie captained the Young Lionesses to the semi-finals of the Under-17 European Championship in 2023, with her performances earning her a place in the team of the tournament. Most recently, she was part of the Under-19 England squad that reached the semi-final of the European Championship.
“I’m so proud to be putting pen to paper on a professional contract at a club that means so much to me,” said Katie. “Ever since I was a kid and first started playing football, this is what I always aspired to so it means the world. I want to keep working hard and progressing and I can’t wait to continue my development here with Arsenal.”
Head of Player Development James Honeyman added: “We’re so proud of Katie’s journey, making her way up through our academy and settling into the first-team squad so well. As a club, a key focus area for us is to ensure that our brightest youth players have clear pathways into first-team football, so we’re delighted to see Katie signing her first professional contract.”
Director of Women’s Football Clare Wheatley said: “We’re delighted that Katie will be continuing her journey with us in the first team. She has been a key part of our academy sides throughout her time here and has stepped up impressively to first-team level in recent weeks and months. Katie has worked hard to get to this point and we know she will continue to invest all her efforts into her future progression and development with us.”
Everyone at the club would like to congratulate Katie and we all look forward to seeing her continued development at the club.
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