Freya Gregory Joins Reading FC Women on Season-Long Loan

Highly-talented midfielder, Freya Gregory, makes a move to the Royals from the Villians

Reading FC Women proudly welcomes the signing of Freya Gregory, who joins the club on a season-long loan from Barclays Women’s Super League side, Aston Villa.

This exciting acquisition underlines the club's commitment to bolstering the squad for an impressive campaign in the Barclays Women’s Championship.

Freya Gregory becomes the 11th signing of the summer transfer window, reinforcing the team's depth with quality.

Born in the Midlands, Freya spent two seasons in Birmingham City’s academy setup before earning her place in the first team for the start of the 2019/2020 season. Her debut for Birmingham City came on 17th November 2019, in a match against Brighton & Hove Albion, and she went on to make two more appearances for the club before departing in June 2020.

The following month, the talented midfielder returned to her roots, joining Aston Villa. This move marked Aston Villa's debut season in the Women's Super League (WSL), and Gregory contributed with nine appearances for the club. She even scored her first goal against none other than her former team, Birmingham City, in a 1-1 draw.

In January 2022, Gregory embarked on a loan spell with Midlands side Leicester City for the remainder of the 2021/2022 season. Her debut for the Foxes took place on 9th January 2022, in a match against the Royals. Throughout her time with Leicester, she made 11 appearances and scored her first goal for the Foxes in a convincing 3-0 victory over West Ham United in February 2022.

Beyond her club career, Freya Gregory has proudly represented England at various youth levels, from the U17s to the U23s. She made her debut in England’s 4-1 victory over Belgium in October 2019. Nearly two years later, she achieved a significant milestone by scoring her first international goal in an emphatic 8-1 win against Northern Ireland while representing the U19 side.

Once the new jersey was on, Freya spoke of her reasons for joining the Royals, and what she hopes to achieve in her time at the club, "I had a good conversation with Liam, he's got big ambitions for the team, and the way he works made this a really attractive opportunity for me.

"I hope to bring goals, assists and help the team in every moment.

"It's going to be really fun to play in this team, with how the coaches want us to play, and I can't wait to link up with the girls and hopefully we can put on a show for the supporters and have a great season."

Everyone at Reading FC Women is thrilled to welcome Freya to the family.

Be part of this exciting journey by joining us at RG2 as we extend a warm Royals' welcome to our latest signing, who will be featuring in the upcoming match against Southampton Women on Sunday.