Ellen White aims to fulfil European dreams after Manchester City move
Ellen White is “delighted” to have completed a move from Birmingham to Manchester City before she heads to the World Cup with England and believes she can fulfil her dreams with the cup double winners.
The forward has been signed to replace Nikita Parris, the all-time top scorer in the Women’s Super League. White scored 21 goals in 26 league games for Birmingham and was the leading scorer ahead of Parris in 2017-18.
“Keets [Parris] has done some great things with City and she’s moving on,” said White, whose contract, like Parris’s, expired at the season’s close. “Now I’m going to fulfil my own challenges and fulfil my own dreams playing for City.”
A conversation with City’s manager, Nick Cushing, convinced her to join the club that won both domestic cups and finished as the runners-up to Arsenal this season.
“I had a few other clubs as well that were interested,” White said. “For me it’s always nice to feel wanted and valued by those clubs. But after City approached me and having spoken with Nick it was a pretty easy decision to be honest.
“I wanted something a little bit different. I know lots of the Man City players, I know their facilities, I’ve watched their style of play and it just really suits me.
“Me and my husband are going to be moving to Manchester, so I needed to look at that side as well, but we’re going all in and it’s going to be a really exciting opportunity.”
The chance to play in the Champions League again, having competed on the continent with Arsenal between 2010 and 2013, was another big draw.
“I want to be back playing the best teams in Europe and the best players in Europe,” White said. “Man City seemed a great fit for that.”
It also helped that the England captain, Steph Houghton, a close friend, could give her a proper insight into player development at City. “She is one of my best friends but I’ll never make a decision just on going to play with my friends,” White said. “She explained a lot about the club, though: the ambition, the environment, the culture, the playing style and her own development.
“That type of thing really drew me, in terms of how much she’s developed under Nick Cushing. That was big for me. I still want to develop, I still want to learn, I still want to work hard, I still want to improve as a player.
“It will be very nice to see her face every day,” she said with a laugh, “but it was the other aspects around the club that drew me in.”
White will join Houghton and five other City players at the World Cup in France. “I’m just delighted to be able to get this move signed and sealed so I can really focus on England,” White said.
She spent much of the early part of the season out with a back injury but returned to score the winner for Birmingham against Chelsea in late January. “I feel good, I feel fit and healthy and in a good place,” the 30-year-old said. “I came back in January, so I’ve had a good five months to now to really get fit and healthy and match fit.”