Manchester City Women sign Fifa World Player of the Year Carli Lloyd

The midfielder has completed a deal to join last season’s Women’s Super League champions from American side Houston Dash

Lloyd has made 232 appearances for USA (Getty)

Manchester City Women have signed USA international and World Player of the Year Carli Lloyd on a short-term deal.

The midfielder has completed a deal to join last season’s Women’s Super League champions from American side Houston Dash.

Lloyd, who has represented USA 232 times, has scored 96 international goals throughout her career, three of which famously came in USA’s 5-2 win against Japan in the 2015 World Cup final.

As well as winning the 2015 and 2016 Fifa Player of the Year award in which she beat Germany’s Melanie Behringer and Brazilian Marta to the Fifa gong, the 34 year-old is also a two-time Olympic gold medallist.

Her deal to join Nick Cushing’s side makes her the third American to join England’s Women’s top flight with Crystal Dunn and Heather O’Reilly of Chelsea and Arsenal respectively.

City were crowned champions of the Super League last season after going the entire season unbeaten. Cushing’s side are vying for a place in the Champions League quarter-final with a match against Danish side Fortuna Hjorring next month.

Lloyd only spent two seasons with Houston Dash where she scored six goals in 17 games.

The American could be in line for Manchester City’s first spring game in the FAWSL series against Chelsea on April 23.

Lloyd said she is relishing the "challenge" ahead of her and believes the Manchester club is moving in the "right direction".

Lloyd with Cristiano Ronaldo at the Best Fifa Football Awards (Getty)

"This facility [at Manchester City] is unbelievable. I don't think anything compares to it," Lloyd told BBC Sport. "I am always looking to improve my game.

"It is another challenge for me, to be able to come over here, train with some of the world's best players, be at the world's best facility, playing in the Champions League and hopefully win an FA Cup and the Spring Series.

"I've had a lot of different offers from various clubs and none of them really panned out, but this one was going in the right direction."

On joining the WSL, Lloyd added: "It is definitely the next up-and-coming league.

"It is going to be fun to be able to play a few months with some of these players and get a better understanding of how this league operates. I can help promote the [American] NWSL and help see how they run things here and make our league back home a bit better as well."