ROSE Kite has become Oxford United Women's first signing of the summer.

The goalkeeper earned a call-up to the England Under 19 squad last season and joins from Southampton.

Now the teenager is looking to develop under Liam Gilbert as they get ready for the new FA Women's National League Southern Premier campaign.

She said: “I like Oxford’s ambitions, obviously looking to win the league, and looking at last season the team did really well, it was just frustrating with the virus that everything had to stop.

"But the ambitions this year are really big, and I want to achieve what they want to achieve, so I’m really looking forward to it.”

The squad is starting to come together already, with Kayleigh Hines the latest key figure from last season's squad to sign up.

The players' player of the season, who also won the squad's goal of the campaign prize, joins Lauren Haynes, Daisy McLachlan and Emily Allen in committing herself to Liam Gilbert's side.

She said: "The ambition of the club was a huge factor in re-signing.

"This club deserves to play football in a higher league than we’re in now, but I can completely appreciate and understand that we have a job to do to get back to that.

“The draw for me as a player to the club is what it has always been at Oxford; what we’ve demonstrated over time – the morals and values of the club, the staff that are in place and the ambition of where the club want to go.”