l Ahead of the 2020/21 season, Leicester City have announced that their women's team will go professional, with King Power international completing the acquisition of Leicester City Women. The transfer of the team’s FA Women’s Championship (FAWC) licence to LCFC was approved on Tuesday.

General Manager Jade Morgan, Team Manager Jonathan Morgan, 12 members of the playing squad and a number of key support staff will be retained from the previous setup, which will now go full-time. Eleven new players will also join from clubs in the FA Women's Super League and FAWC to make up the 23-player squad.

The team will continue to play its matches at Farley Way Stadium in Quorn during the 2020/21 campaign and are set to face Manchester City in the FA Cup on 26/27 September.

Full Squad

Leicester City's full squad is as follows, including a number of players from the Women's Super League:

Demi Lambourne, Kirstie Levell, Holly Morgan, Ashleigh Plumptre, Grace Riglar, Sophie Howard, Sam Tierney, Esme de Graaf, Lia Cataldo, Freya Thomas, Annabel Blanchard, Charlie Devlin, Aimee Everett, Remi Allen, Sophie Barker, Ruesha Littlejohn, Paige Bailey-Gayle, Lachante Paul, Libby Smith, Millie Farrow, Natasha Flint, Hannah Cain, Liv Fergusson

'Vision for developing the women’s game in Leicester is wide-ranging'

Leicester City Chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha said: “This is really proud day. The introduction of a women’s team embedded within the Club has been an ambition of ours for some time and today it can start to be realised.

“The Club’s co-operation with LCWFC since 2004 has been a valuable gateway to the women’s game. Its chairman, Rohan Morgan, and its staff and players deserve great credit for the solid foundations they have built and we’re really excited to see how we can progress with the setup in-house.

“LCFC Women will carry the standard, but our vision for developing the women’s game in Leicester is wide-ranging. We want to build on the recent success of women’s football to inspire a generation of young girls and to ensure opportunities exist for the gifted among them to have a future in the game.

“Exactly 10 years on from King Power first arriving in Leicester, this is a significant expansion in our vision for the Club – both in terms of diversification and our dedication to football for all; and in our ongoing commitment to excellence in every one of the Club’s pursuits.”

'An amazing step forward'

Rohan Morgan, advisor to an LCFC Women’s Football Leadership Group, said:

“This is an amazing step forward, both for our team and for women’s football in the city. For many years now, we have proudly represented Leicester City in the women’s game and tried to build an organisation with solid foundations, high standards and the potential for growth.

"Officially joining the Leicester City family is the best possible endorsement of that work and I’m extremely proud of every player, member of staff and volunteer – several of whom will be continuing the journey with us – that has helped bring us to this point. Thanks to the belief of Khun Aiyawatt, Susan Whelan and everyone at Leicester City, we have an incredible opportunity to build on that potential and be a part of the Club’s vision for success.”