Canadian international Janine Beckie signs new deal with Manchester City

Apr 14, 2020 | 11:30 AM

Canadian international Janine Beckie has signed a two-year contract extension with Manchester City.

The 25-year-old’s current deal was to expire at the end of June.

“My agent (Alan Naigeon) called me a few times throughout the year to share some inquiries he had received from abroad but it has always been my goal to win the UWCL (UEFA Women’s Champions League,” Beckie said in a statement. 

“We have built a squad who can compete for every title available in the women’s club game and that is the kind of team I desire to continue with.”

Beckie has already done her bit to help fill the Man City trophy case. In February 2019, she converted the decisive spot kick in a penalty shootout as City beat Arsenal to claim the FA Women’s Continental League Cup at Sheffield’s Bramall Lane.

A striker converted to wingback in the absence of the injured Aoife Mannion, Beckie has five goals and 10 assists in 21 games this season.

Beckie, who made her senior debut in November 2014, has 31 goals and eight assists in 70 appearances for Canada. 

She had three goals in the Canadian women’s bronze-medal campaign at the 2016 Rio Olympics, setting a Games record for fastest goal just 20 seconds into Canada’s opening contest against Australia.

Born in Colorado to parents from Saskatchewan, Beckie was 20 when she made her debut for Canada in November 2014.

A star at Texas Tech, where she became the Red Raiders’ career leading scorer with 57 goals, Beckie was taken by the Houston Dash in the first round (eighth over all) in the 2016 NWSL college draft. New Jersey-based Sky Blue acquired her in a trade in January in a three-way trade with Houston and the Chicago Red Stars.

Beckie joined Manchester City in August 2018 from Sky Blue FC.

“She represents everything that we are about — a player who has the desire to win and improve, whilst always putting the team’s needs above her own,” said Gavin Makel, City’s head of women’s football. “There’s no doubt that Janine will continue to get better and better as she has done over the last couple of years.”

City currently tops the suspended FA Women’s Super League with a 13-2-1 record but exited the Champions League in the round of 16 at the hands of Atletico Madrid.

 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 14, 2020.

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Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press