Missy Bo Kearns has departed Liverpool in a shock transfer to WSL rivals Aston Villa.
Kearns, 23, had been at the Merseyside club since childhood having joined the academy aged eight. She progressed through the ranks and made over 100 senior appearances for the first team, helping them win promotion from the Championship and back into the WSL in 2022.
Villa, who finished seventh in the league standings last term, and 17 points behind Liverpool in fourth, confirmed the arrival of the midfielder on Thursday for an undisclosed fee. Kearns put pen to paper on a three-year deal until 2027.
New Villa boss Robert de Pauw told the club website: "Missy Bo is a great asset for our team. She is a good player and has the potential to be a future leader.
"We are happy to have her in our squad. I see Missy as a dynamic, box-to-box midfielder. She is a good passer and also knows where to find the goal. Missy Bo has the potential and ability to become a regular England international."
Liverpool manager Matt Beard told their club website: "We respect Missy Bo’s decision and she departs with our very best wishes and, I’m sure, those of our fans. She has worn the shirt with the pride of a local girl and I have enjoyed my time working with her over so many years. I will follow her future development with great interest and pride."
According to the BBC’s Emma Sanders, Kearns opted to move elsewhere in a bid to cement herself as a starter in a team and secure more regular game time, with a view to breaking into the senior Lionesses squad. The 23-year-old has captained England at youth level and was part of Sarina Wiegman’s standby list for the team’s Euro 2025 qualifiers over the summer.
Last season, Kearns played in 20 of Liverpool’s WSL games, but that equated to just 914 minutes of action as she regularly appeared off the bench. She scored one goal and registered one assist in that time.