Manchester City's Steph Houghton has signed a one-year extension on her contract, which will take her to the milestone of spending more than a decade with the club.
Already the club's all-time women’s appearance maker, Houghton has 233 games under her belt in all competitions and scored 21 goals during her time in sky blue to date, including two in her last six games.
The 35-year-old has lifted eight trophies as skipper including four Continental Tyres League Cups, three Women’s FA Cups and one Barclays Women’s Super League title during her nine and a half years at City so far.
The women's football icon has now cemented herself further in history by committing to a decade with the club after first joining in November 2013.
On her new deal, Houghton said: “I’m over the moon to have another year to look forward to at this amazing Club.
“Manchester City has been my home for almost ten years, and I love everything about it – it’s my club, and to sign for another year, I’m absolutely buzzing.
“When I first joined, I just wanted to be here as long as I could, and to play at the top level, so I never really put a number on it. Once you get closer to that decade mark though, you do think about the idea of hitting that milestone.
“I feel good in myself and my body, and I’m really enjoying my football, so it was an easy decision for me in all honesty.“Both on and off the pitch, I feel as though I’ve got a lot to give in terms of my expertise and experience with the rest of the girls, and I’ll be continuing to support everyone as much as I can.
“Ultimately though, my happiness has always been the most important thing for me in my career, and I am so happy to be sitting here with another year in City blue to come.”
Head Coach Gareth Taylor added: “Having Steph sign a new deal here at Manchester City is fantastic news.“She is such a huge part of the Club as a whole and the impact she has had during her time here so far – whether it be on or off the pitch - is testament to that.
"Steph is such an important member of our squad and her experience is invaluable. She is the consummate professional, with her team mentality at the forefront of everything that she does.
“Over 230 appearances and eight trophies show exactly how important she has been to the growth of this Club, and the fact that she will surpass a decade of service with this new deal is thoroughly deserved.
“Her hunger and desire to win and succeed is something that makes her one of the game’s legends, and having the opportunity to work with her for another year is something we’re all thrilled about.”
