West Ham sign Arsenal centre back

West Ham Ladies have signed Centre Back Vyan Sampson from Arsenal Ladies.  The 21-year-old, who made three appearances for West Ham at the end of last season, ends a seven-year association with the Gunners having made her WSL debut in 2014.

“I came to West Ham to do some training and I fell in love with the club,” she said. “West Ham has helped me to enjoy football again.”

A graduate of Arsenal Ladies’ Centre of Excellence, Sampson has also represented England at Under-19s and U17s level, making four appearances for the U19s.  The centre-back made her professional debut for the Gunners in 2014, at the age of 18, in the side’s final WSL game of that season a – 3-1 win over Everton.

Sampson told WHUFC.com: “Everyone was very welcoming to me since I first came here. When I got here, everyone welcomed me with open arms. It was like a family. 

“Even when I didn’t have anything to give them, everybody gave what they had to me. They made sure I was alright, they looked after me and they made sure my injury troubles were okay. 

“They gave me the confidence to push forward. It’s like a family club here and everybody wants the same thing, and everybody works towards the same thing. I’m so excited to meet everybody and start this new journey.”