Former Arsenal forward, Jodie Taylor, has signed for Lyon until the end of the calendar year.
Taylor signed for Arsenal in March, 2016, but injury delayed her debut and she didn’t play for Arsenal until the last game of the 2016 season against Doncaster Belles.
The 34-year-old played for Arsenal just 17 times before moving on to Joe Montemurro’s Melbourne City in 2017, not long after he’d arrived at Arsenal. It was also announced at the time that she would join Reign FC at the end of her short contract in Australia.
Taylor scored 10 Arsenal goals in those 17 games and has scored just 11 goals in 26 league appearances since leaving.
At the start of 2020, Taylor signed a new one-year deal with OL Reign, who were recently taken over by the OL Groupe. That contract also included an option for another year but she has now moved to their sister club, Lyon, in France.
She joins fellow English players, Lucy Bronze, Nikita Parris and Alex Greenwood.
Taylor told Lyon’s website: “I’m very happy to join OL and can’t wait to play with my new team. I just finished my season with OL Reign in the United States but I kind of stay in the same family.
“I talked a lot with my English teammates like Lucy Bronze who has been at the club for a long time, and I couldn’t refuse the opportunity to play for one of the best teams in the world.”
OL Reign’s CEO, Bill Predmore, said: “When the opportunity arose for Jodie to move to OL to support their run in the Coupe de France and Champions League – as well as for the first part of OL’s upcoming season – we felt it important to support Jodie given all she has contributed to the club. We are happy that Jodie will be able to pursue this opportunity and would gladly welcome her back to our club in the future.”
Taylor has played for Tranmere Rovers, Boston Renegades, Ottawa Fury, Pali Blues, Melbourne Victory, Birmingham City, Lincoln Ladies, Goteborg, Sydney FC, Washington Spirit, Portaland Thorns, Arsenal, Melbourne City, OL Reign and, now, Lyon.
She has never spent more than two years at any club and her best spell, in terms of goals and appearances, was with Tranmere at the start of her career between 2002 and 2004 when she made 38 league appearances, scoring 29 goals.