Orman & Rose become Royals
Reading FC Women are pleased to announce the arrivals of not one, but two, goalkeepers as the Royals continue to bolster their squad ahead of the 2023-24 Barclays Championship season.
Emily Orman joins on a season-long loan from Women’s Super League Champions Chelsea, whilst Rose Kite signs a permanent deal following a successful trial with the club.
Welcome to the Royals family, Emily and Rose.
20-year-old Surrey born, Emily Orman, joins the Royals from Chelsea until the end of the 2023/24 season as she continues her development. Orman signed her first professional contract with the West London side ahead of the 2021/22 season, having joined the club when she was aged 16.
After putting pen to paper, securing her long-term future, Orman went out on loan to Barclays Championship side Crystal Palace, and played an instrumental part in helping the Eagles to a fourth place finish in the league their highest finish at that time. Her high-quality consistent performances did not go unnoticed by the supporters, as she was named the fans’ player of the year.
Arriving in RG2 with plenty of enthusiasm and desire to follow up her successes, Orman had this to say on her move to RG2, “The facilities here are just beautiful, and whilst I haven’t got to know everyone yet, the vibe in the camp is already really good.
“From the first couple of sessions I’ve seen, I was really impressed at the level I saw today.
“It’s a challenging time at the club, but an exciting time, helping the team move forward, get back on the right track and get back to where they want to be, which all conversations have been around getting promoted.”
Another new member joining the Royals family, and part of our new Goalkeeper Union, is Rose Kite.
Her career began with fellow Championship side Southampton Women, before making a switch to Oxford United Women in July 2020. Across three seasons, Kite established herself as United’s number 1 between the sticks and in December 2022 hit a landmark 50th appearance.
In the 2022-23 season, Kite played a significant role in helping Oxford finish third in the Southern Premier Division, falling just two points behind league winners Watford. Specifically for Rose, though, she only conceded 15 goals across 22 games, the second best in the whole division bettered only by Ipswich.
Upon signing for the Royals, Rose said, “I’m so excited to get started, and really looking forward to the season and helping the team achieve our goals as well as taking the next step in my career.
“The girls and all the staff have been great with me since the moment I arrived, it’s a great group to be a part of, and I think we can really achieve something great this season.
“I’m a huge team player, I will have the backs of every single team mate, here to chat or save them one or two occasions. So I am just really happy to be here and get the season started.”
We are thrilled to welcome Emily & Rose to the Reading family, and looking forward to seeing them represent the Royals in the upcomig campaign.