Former Arsenal goalkeeper Naomi Williams has signed for Watford as a free agent after leaving the club this summer following eight years in north London.
Former Arsenal goalkeeper Naomi Williams has signed for Watford FC as a free agent after leaving the Gunners this summer.
Williams had spent eight years at Arsenal before confirming in May that she would move on, bringing to an end an association that began when she was 13.
She announced her departure on Instagram with an emotional message reflecting on how significant the club had been in her development.
The difficulty remains finding a route into an Arsenal squad operating at the highest level. The club reached the Champions League semi-finals and won the FIFA Women’s Champions Cup last season, with places in the 25-player senior squad contested by established internationals.
Williams was fourth choice in the goalkeeping group, behind Daphne van Domselaar, Anneke Borbe and Barbora Votikova, who was at Arsenal on a short-term loan until the end of the season.
Amy Liddiard, Arsenal’s under-21 goalkeeper, was also part of the wider picture at the age of 17.
Williams left without making a senior competitive appearance for Arsenal, although she did feature in the friendly against Australia All Stars XI in Sydney.
Her move to Watford now opens another door after eight years in Arsenal’s system and a summer departure that closed a significant chapter in her career.
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