Southampton sign former England youth international forward Edwards | OneFootball

Southampton have completed the signing of former England youth international forward Maria Edwards on a free transfer.

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

The 22-year-old moves to St Mary’s Stadium after being made redundant by former Barclays WSL2 club Blackburn Rovers at the end of last season when they opted to exit the elite game and re-enter the pyramid at non-professional level.

Edwards was taken to Blackburn Rovers by former head coach Simon Parker who was recently unveiled as Southampton’s new boss. The player helped the Lancashire club exceed expectations in the second tier last season.

The forward spent her early days with Manchester United. She enjoyed an initial loan spell with Blackburn Rovers before moving to Germany to progress her career with SGS Essen. Edwards returned to the English game with Blackburn Rovers last summer.

On the international stage, Edwards has represented England at various youth levels up to and including Under-17 level.

After joining Southampton, Edwards said “When I first had conversations with the club, I knew it was definitely the right place to be with the ambition and vision the club has.

“The style of play that this club plays is really suited to me as well, so there were no second thoughts about joining.”

Edwards is Southampton’s seventh summer signing.