Alex Morgan: Tottenham move will be good for all parties, says Orlando Pride boss
- Published
Tottenham unveiled the signing of Alex Morgan on a billboard in London's Leicester Square
Alex Morgan's move to Tottenham will benefit her, the United States national team and Orlando Pride, says the American club's boss Marc Skinner.
The two-time World Cup-winner, 31, agreed a move to the London club on 10 September's transfer deadline day.
Morgan, who gave birth to her daughter on 7 May, has scored 107 goals in 169 international appearances for the USA.
"I know Alex will come back a better player from the experience," Englishman Skinner said.
"It was very much a last-minute move, an enquiry from Tottenham anyway, because I think they'd had other targets and it became available on the last day before their transfer window.
"I had a conversation with Alex and, once we'd had that conversation, it was very clear it was the right direction for her to get more games.
"It will benefit Orlando, Alex and the national team, through Alex playing more games."
Former Birmingham City Women manager Skinner added that he expects to have Morgan back in Orlando in time for the NWSL's pre-season, which would typically begin in February or March prior to the American league campaign getting under way in April.
Spurs said that Morgan has joined "for the 2020-21" season, after initial reports that she would only arrive on a short-term deal until the end of December.
Her spell in England will see her miss four upcoming games for Orlando in the NWSL's 'Fall Series', but Skinner believes that will give him a chance to experiment in her absence.
"We're happy with the decision," he added. "We'd love to have Alex in our team, but it will give Orlando a benefit going forward.
"Although these games are competitive, we're only playing two teams twice.
"It's almost a way for us to experiment with players [during the upcoming NWSL Fall Series] that we don't know so much about, and then we'll welcome Alex back in to pre-season next season."