Sunderland sign Republic of Ireland international winger Atkinson | OneFootball

Sunderland have completed the signing of Republic of Ireland international winger Izzy Atkinson on a free transfer.

The Lady Black Cats announced news of the deal via a post on their official club website this morning.

The 24-year-old midfielder joins Sunderland off the back of an 18-month spell with Crystal Palace. Atkinson helped The Eagles to seal their promotion to the Barclays Women’s Super League in 2023/2024 but she suffered an immediate return to the second tier with the club last term.

Atkinson has also represented West Ham United in the English game.

On the international stage, Atkinson has been capped by the Republic of Ireland on 24 occasions. She was named in the squad for the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia and New Zealand 2023.

After joining Sunderland, Atkinson said “I’m absolutely delighted to join Sunderland. The conversations with Mel [Reay] have been really positive. She made me feel wanted from the start and talked about the ambitions here, which really stood out.

“There’s a strong group and a clear vision – I want to be part of that. This feels like a fresh start for me, and I’m ready to hit the ground running.”

Atkinson is Sunderland’s sixth summer transfer window signing.