Rose Lavelle on joining Manchester City: 'The club is one of the best in the world'

USA international sets sights on Champions League and is looking forward to a 'different challenge'

Rose Lavelle, right, during the 2019 World Cup final where she scored the second goal in a 2-0 win for the United States against the Netherlands. AFP

One World Cup winner may have left Manchester City this month, but two more have arrived. David Silva's decade at the Etihad Stadium reached its conclusion, but City now possess two-thirds of the United States' midfield from their 2019 final win over Holland.

First Sam Mewis joined then Rose Lavelle; two stellar signings in successive weeks. “Me and Sam were keeping each other in the loop,” said Lavelle, scorer of the second goal in that final. “I don’t think it was the deciding factor for either of us but it definitely helps to have a familiar face around. She is one of my best friends.”

The recent tradition of decorated Americans moving to Manchester includes Carli Lloyd, a double World Cup winner, double Olympic champion and double Fifa Player of the Year who had a loan spell with City in 2017 and who provided Lavelle with a glowing endorsement of her new employers. "Carli has had nothing but positive things to say," she said. "She raved about it."

Lavelle represents a modest world-beater. “By no means am I going to walk in and play immediately,” she said. “I have to earn that spot. The midfield is going to be really fun. Jill Scott, Keira Walsh and Caroline Weir are really going to push me.

"I like to think I am a creative player. I hope I can bring some flair and playmaking into the final third but there are a lot of great players. I have had the opportunity to play against a lot of them on the international stage so I am excited to play with them.

“The club is one of the best in the world. The resources they put on both sides, men’s and women’s, definitely drew me there. There are lot of opportunities to win some fun things. Between the resources, the players, the training environment, the competition, it was the full package.”

Hers is an unusual transfer in more ways than one. Lavelle joined City only two days after Washington Spirit had traded her to OL Reign. The American franchise system can work in mysterious ways but Lavelle said: “I understand the business side and why they wanted to trade my rights.”

An ambition was realised, albeit earlier than she had planned. Interest in her increased after her exploits in last summer’s World Cup but her transfer is an indirect consequence of a strange year.

The postponement of the Tokyo Olympics became a factor, while the 25-year-old is unsure how much football will be played in the United States in the immediate future.

“I knew at some point I wanted to go overseas and I had thought after the Olympics might be a good time,” Lavelle said. “With everything that is going on over here, it seemed the right time to go. Pandemic or not, Manchester City is a great club to be at.

“I wanted to experience a different challenge, a different league. Growing up and watching the Champions League, I never imagined that someday I could be playing in it myself but when the opportunity presented itself I was very excited. To be able to play in it let alone potentially win it would be incredible.”

First, however, she must face another consequence of the times. Lavelle is still in America. Get to England and she said: “I will have a bit of a quarantine period.”

She has much to look forward to when she is allowed out and about. “I need to experience this huge football culture where everyone lives and breathes soccer,” she explained. Manchester will be an experience in itself. “I honestly do not know much about the city,” she said. “I have a lot of exploring to do.”

But the Cincinnati native has been given warnings about her future home city. “I have heard there is a lot of rain. I have one rain jacket so I might need to buy a couple more.”