Arsenal announce departure of goalkeeper Williams

Arsenal announce departure of goalkeeper Williams

Arsenal have announced the news that goalkeeper Naomi Williams is leaving the club this summer.

WSL Full-Time were informed of the news via an official club press release from The Gunners this afternoon.

The 21-year-old joined the Arsenal academy at the age of 13 and she went on to successfully graduate into the senior squad. Williams has largely been providing goalkeeping competition during her time as a senior player in North London. She has been a member of squads that have won two Subway Women’s League Cups, the UEFA Women’s Champions League and FIFA Women’s Champions Cup.

Commenting on Williams’ departure, Arsenal head coach Renée Slegers said “I think she’s highly valued in the whole squad and by us [coaching staff] as well. She said some words in the team meeting on Tuesday, addressed the team herself. I wouldn’t be able to do it the way she did because she spoke about what she’s grateful for and how she’s grown at Arsenal. It was just painting bigger pictures of what Arsenal means, what it means to people outside, but also people on the inside. It was great perspective, it was fantastic.

“I’ve loved working with Naomi. She’s played an important role this season coming back for us. She’s been important in getting the team into a position where we are now. She’s played her role, she’s going to move on. She’s another very valued person in the group that’s going to leave us. That’s always a little sad and it always hurts, but it’s the nature of the game. It’s part of it, people come and go. Naomi has been very important for us.”

Arsenal are next in action when they contest a Barclays Women’s Super League fixture at Aston Villa at the weekend.