IRELAND STAR RUESHA Littlejohn has signed for Leicester City as the club turn professional for the first time in their history ahead of the 2020/21 FA Women’s Championship season.

The Foxes announced their squad today, with Littlejohn — who was most recently on the books at top-tier Women’s Super League side West Ham — included.

“Ruesha is entering her first season at LCFC Women, having played at numerous clubs during a career that started in 2006,” Leicester’s bio on the midfielder reads.

“Born in Glasgow, she has represented both Scotland Under-19s and the senior Republic of Ireland side at international level, scoring a total of six goals in 54 combined appearances. Her club career has seen her play in England, Scotland and Norway.”

The former Arsenal, Celtic and Liverpool attacker was in stellar form for Vera Pauw’s Ireland before the Covid-19 shutdown, marking her long-awaited international return with a Player of the Match performance in their Euro qualifier win over Greece.

The 30-year-old, who had been playing mostly as a striker up until then, has reinvented herself around the middle, and has been in glittering form since linking up with West Ham for training late last year.

Having made a trial appearance, she put pen to paper and signed for the Londoners until the end of the season in January — but left when her contract expired this summer after making four appearances.

Scottish-born Littlejohn represented Scotland at underage level, and in 2012 she declared for Ireland.

Her next challenge now comes in the Championship — where she last represented London Bees — and that kicks off on the weekend of 5 September. She’ll be hoping to hit the ground running, with three crucial Euro qualifiers against Germany and Ukraine just around the corner.

Former West Ham team-mate Esmee De Graaf joins Littlejohn at Leicester.

The42 is on Instagram! Tap the button below on your phone to follow us!