Captain Zelem leaves Man Utd

Katie Zelem made 161 appearances in all competitions for Manchester United, scoring 32 goals

Manchester United captain Katie Zelem has left the club following the expiry of her contract.

The midfielder's exit is another blow for the Women's Super League (WSL) side, with goalkeeper Mary Earps also expected to leave for Paris St-Germain on a free transfer.

Zelem, 28, had played for United since the senior women's team was formed in 2018 and made more than 100 appearances for the club.

"Everyone at Manchester United would like to place on record their thanks to Katie for her excellent service and wish her the best of luck in the next phase of her career," a statement from the club read.

Born in Greater Manchester, she joined United at the age of eight and was part of the academy until 2013 when she was forced to leave as the club had no women's team at the time.

After starting her senior career with Liverpool and spending a season with Juventus, Zelem returned to United and helped them gain promotion to the WSL in their debut campaign.

Zelem captained United to a club-record second place in the WSL in 2022-23, and to their first major trophy last season when they beat Tottenham 4-0 in the FA Cup final at Wembley.

However, amid uncertain times for the United women's team following the takeover of football operations by Sir Jim Ratcliffe, one of their most talismanic players has departed.

Zelem has also made 12 senior appearances for England, and was part of the Lionesses squad which reached the final of the 2023 Women's World Cup.