Reading FC Women are delighted to announce that experienced Welsh international midfielder Angharad James has signed a contract with the Royals.

James began her career at Arsenal, joining the Gunners’ Academy in 2010 at the age of 16 and making her first team debut in a 6–0 home win in the UEFA Women's Champions League in October 2011.

Ahead of the 2012 FAWSL season, James signed for Bristol Academy but relegation prompted a move to keep her in the top flight at Notts County nearly four years later. Newly promoted Yeovil Town swooped to sign James for the latter part of the FAWSL Spring Series but in July 2017 she left the Glovers to join Everton.

On the international front, James made her senior Wales bow at the age of 17, as a late substitute in a 2–2 draw with Scotland in Edinburgh on 27th October 2011.

In January 2012, she was named in Hope Powell’s provisional Team GB squad for the London 2012 Olympic Games, and although she didn’t make the final cut for that competition, Angharad has gone on to earn 48 caps for Wales.

“Reading is a club that I have always had respect for,” Angharad said. “This is a step forward in my career and one which I am very much looking forward to.

“I’m excited to work with Kelly, her staff and a high calibre of players in this squad - it will be a great opportunity to learn and grow as a player and as person.

“This move was about going to a club who would challenge me and take my game to the next level. Reading fitted that mould and more. Great things never came from comfort zones…I can’t wait to get started with this new challenge.”

James becomes our second acquisition of the summer and now joins her fellow new recruit in pre-season training; last month Reading FC Women announced the signing of centre-half Kristine Bjørdal Leine who made the move to Berkshire from her homeland side Røa IL.

Despite only being 22 years of age, Leine has plenty of experience to offer the Royals. Domestically, she broke into the Røa side as a teenager in 2015, helping her club to a third-placed finish in the Toppserien. The following season, she was part of a squad which finished runners-up in the Norwegian Women’s Cup.

And at international level, she has five senior caps to date for the Norwegian national team – most recently helping her compatriots to lift the Algarve Cup in March with wins against China, Poland and Denmark.

A few weeks since sealing her move to Reading, Leine commented: “It’s been good so far. The tempo is higher than I’m used to but I’m looking forward to developing as a player in Reading. I felt that it was time to have a new challenge and I’m looking forward to starting the season here as a Royal.”