London, July 7 (IANS) Arsenal Women have signed Jamaican full-back Taylor Hinds on a permanent deal on Monday.

The 26-year-old returns to Arsenal for her second spell with the Gunners, following the expiry of her contract with Liverpool.

Taylor’s Arsenal journey began with their academy at the age of 11 in 2010. Over the following seven years, Taylor showed strong progression through youth ranks, developing into a versatile player capable of playing at both full-back and in midfield.

Taylor’s break into the first team came in the 2017/18 season, making her debut from the bench in their 7-0 League Cup win over London Bees in October 2017. A full debut followed in a 5-2 defeat of Millwall Lionesses in the same competition the following month.

Taylor joined Everton on a permanent transfer in January 2018, making 30 appearances and scoring one goal across two and a half seasons with the Toffees, before crossing Merseyside to join Liverpool in July 2020.

The full-back played an integral role in Liverpool’s Women’s Championship title win in the 2021/22 season, becoming vice-captain in 2023 and helping the team secure a fourth-place WSL finish in 2023/24. In total, Taylor made 131 appearances in five seasons with Liverpool, scoring eight goals.

Now a Jamaica international, Taylor represented England at youth level and represented England at both the U17 and U20 FIFA World Cups in 2016 and 2018 respectively. She received her first call-up to the Jamaica squad in October 2024, making her debut in a friendly against France that month.

“I’m so proud to have signed for Arsenal. I want to push, compete and be winning trophies – and this club encompasses all of that both on and off the pitch. You can see what direction Arsenal is going in and everyone at the club wants to win,” Taylor said in a statement.

“This is a full-circle moment for me and I’m grateful to come back to a place I called home when I was younger. I can’t wait to get started and to step out on the pitch at Emirates Stadium in front of all our incredible supporters,” she added.

Arsenal Women head coach Renee Slegers said, “We’re delighted to welcome Taylor back to Arsenal. She’s a versatile player who has great experience from multiple seasons in the WSL with Liverpool, where she took on a leadership role. I’m excited to get started with Taylor on the training pitch and I’m sure our supporters will join me in welcoming Taylor back to the club.”

–IANS

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