Arsenal 18yo signs professional contract | OneFootball

Katie Reid has taken a significant step in her football career by signing her first professional contract with Arsenal.

The 18-year-old centre-back, who joined Arsenal’s academy at 13, has shown immense growth and dedication over the years, earning her a spot in the first team.

After gaining experience with titles at U-16 and U-21 levels, and a loan spell at Watford, Reid is now ready to make her mark at the senior level.

Katie Reid signs professional contract alongside Jonas Eidevall (photo via Arsenal.com)

Katie Reid has signed a professional contract with Arsenal. The 18-year-old centre-back has been rewarded for her improvement and hard work over the last few years since joining the first team in training.

She joined the Academy back in 2019 aged 13 and has won titles at U-16 and U-21 levels. She was a key player when the team won the PGA U-21 Southern Division title in the 2023/24 season.

Katie went on loan to Watford to further her development, making 10 appearances before being recalled due to the injury crisis in the defence at the time. She is also an England youth international, having captained the team at the U-17 Euros and was part of the U-19 Euros team last summer.

Katie is a composed centre-back with accurate and sharp passing quality. Over the last two seasons, she has greatly improved her decision-making regarding build-up play and passing choices. She is a tall defender who can defend the lead opposition striker one-on-one in the old-fashioned way.

“I’m so proud to be putting pen to paper on a professional contract at a club that means so much to me,” said Katie. “Ever since I was a kid and first started playing football, this is what I always aspired to, so it means the world. I want to keep working hard and progressing, and I can’t wait to continue my development here with Arsenal.”

Director of Women’s Football Clare Wheatley said: “We’re delighted that Katie will be continuing her journey with us in the first team. She has been a key part of our academy sides throughout her time here and has stepped up impressively to first-team level in recent weeks and months. Katie has worked hard to get to this point, and we know she will continue to invest all her efforts into her future progression and development with us.”

Head of Player Development James Honeyman added: “We’re so proud of Katie’s journey, making her way up through our academy and settling into the first-team squad so well. As a club, a key focus area for us is to ensure that our brightest youth players have clear pathways into first-team football, so we’re delighted to see Katie signing her first professional contract.”

This is hopefully the beginning of a long story with the club.