Canadian forward Deanne Rose signs two-year deal with England’s Leicester City

LEICESTER, United Kingdom — Canadian worldwide ahead Deanne Rose has joined England’s Leicester City.

The 24-year-old from Alliston, Ont., arrives on a free switch from Reading, which was relegated after being crushed by Chelsea on the ultimate day of the FA Women’s Super League season.

The Reading ladies have since moved to a part-time setup.

“This league is the best in the world and I’m excited to be a part of it,” Rose advised the Leicester web site. “This is a historic membership, and the crew is rising and constructing for the longer term.

“At this point of my career, it’s important to be somewhere where we can build upwards. I want to get better as a player and as a person, and this is the place to do that. I want to get on the scoreboard as much as possible and have an impact for the team.”

Rose was sidelined after injuring her Achilles in Reading’s season-opening 4-0 loss to Manchester United in September 2022. But she recovered to make Canada’s World Cup squad, seeing motion in opposition to Nigeria and Australia.

Rose, who attended the University of Florida, made 24 appearances for Reading.

The Leicester ladies completed tenth within the 12-team Super League final season. The Leicester males, who received the Premier League title in 2015-16, have been relegated from the highest flight after ending 18th with a 9-22-7 report.

Rose, who will put on No. 7 with Leicester, will rejoin Canada for a two-legged Olympic playoff in opposition to Jamaica later this month.

Other Canadian ladies within the English top-flight embrace Kadeisha Buchanan, Jessie Fleming and Ashley Lawrence (Chelsea), Sabrina D’Angelo and Cloe Lacasse (Arsenal), Adriana Leon and Jayde Riviere (Manchester United) and Shelina Zadorsky (Tottenham)