West Ham United are delighted to confirm the signing of attacker Martha Thomas from Le Havre AC.

The 23-year-old becomes West Ham United women’s second signing of the summer after one season in France. She will wear the No9 shirt in Claret and Blue.

“I’m very excited to join West Ham United and I can’t wait to get started,” Thomas told whufc.com. “This is a huge club that has done a lot of work on the women’s side, and I was very impressed with what I saw the side achieve in their first season.

“Women’s football is growing bigger than ever and the support this team gets from the Club really excites me. Once I spoke to Matt Beard, I knew this was the right place for me. I can’t wait to get started now.”

Once I spoke to Matt Beard, I knew this was the right place for me. I can’t wait to get started now. Martha Thomas

Head coach Matt Beard believes Thomas will be a strong addition to his West Ham squad and has the capability of being a regular goalscorer for the Irons.

“I’m delighted to welcome Martha to West Ham United,” Beard said. “She is a very versatile player who can play down the middle, wide, or even in midfield.

“One thing about Martha is that she is a brilliant finisher. We’ve seen that in our research and already on the training fields from her, and that’s something that really excites me about her.

“She is capable of getting into pockets, she can pull off the shoulder and is an excellent finisher. I’m looking forward to working with her this season.”

Born in Dorset, Thomas and her family moved to Weston, Florida when she was six-years-old, where her love for football continued to blossom.

Having participated in the US Youth Soccer National League and winning the Sportsmanship Award in 2008 and 2011, Thomas was named in the NSCAA All-Central Region First Team, the only freshman among the three squads in the region.

Thomas’ impressive run in the USA continued with a selection in the Senior CLASS Award All-America First Team. The then-Charlotte 49ers star became the program’s all-time leading scorer, with 47 goals. Thomas also won the 2016 USA Conference Tournament.

With her record finishes and 26 assists in 78 senior appearances, Thomas made the move to France with Le Havre last summer. The forward helped the French side to a second-place finish in Feminine Division 2.

Everyone at West Ham United would like to welcome Martha to the Club and wish her every success in Claret and Blue.