Patten Signs Pro Deal with Arsenal
COLUMBIA, S.C. – Just a short time after graduating the University of South Carolina, former defender Anna Patten has officially signed a contract with the FA Women’s Super League squad Arsenal.
“It’s such an amazing feeling,” said Patten. “Obviously I’ve been at the club since I was 12, so to be back and be able to fully sign for the team really is like a dream come true.”
The team, headquartered in London, England, has played 10 matches this season in the Barclays FA Women’s Super League and currently sits in second in the standings with 22 points. Patten becomes the second Gamecock to play in the FA Women’s Super League, joining recent Carolina graduate Grace Fisk who plays with West Ham United.
Patten first joined Arsenal at age 12, where she developed through the academy ranks before making her first team debut in 2016, where she played every game during the 2016 Spring Series that season. Patten won two FA Youth Cups with Arsenal in 2015 and 2016 and has nine caps with the first-team squad. She also was called up to England’s national team for the first time at age 20 back in 2020.
“First we want to congratulate Anna, we knew this is where she wanted to always go as a professional playing for her home squad,” South Carolina head coach Shelley Smith said. “Arsenal is getting not only a talented young defender, but an even better person to represent the club. We wish her the best of luck and we cannot wait to watch her continued success at the professional level.”
Arsenal is statistically the most successful club in English women’s history since beginning play in 1987, holding the record for most titles won in each domestic competition they have played in. The club owns 15 league titles, 14 FA Women’s Cups and 10 Women’s Premier League Cups and are the only English club to win the UEFA Women’s Champions League.
“I’ll always look for signings from within and if we can promote players, that’s what our academy is there for,” said Arsenal head coach Joe Montemurro. “But also, to be able to be creative with the signings and so on – we think that she suits the Arsenal mentality, the style of play we want and the beauty of it is that we can work to improve her. It’s not as if she’s a ready-made player, there’s still room for improvement so it’s exciting going forward for all of us.”
After joining the Gamecocks in 2019, Patten grew to be one of Carolina’s most successful student-athletes in recent history. She was named to the All-SEC First Team in the fall of 2020, playing all but 24 minutes of the fall season. She won an SEC Tournament Championship with Carolina in 2019, aiding in three-straight shutouts on the way to the Gamecocks’ second SEC Tournament crown. Patten leaves the college game with three major championships on her resume, along with the SEC title in 2019, Patten won an ACC Tournament title and NCAA Tournament title in 2018 with Florida State as a member of the Seminoles.
Patten’s professional contract makes 11 current Gamecocks currently under contract on the professional level around the world. As of the fall of 2020, that is tied for the most among teams in the SEC with Florida.
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