Ireland defender Aoife Mannion makes Manchester United exit
Republic of Ireland defender Aoife Mannion has departed Manchester United after the expiration of her contract.
Mannion, 29, joined the Red Devils from Manchester City in the summer of 2021.
She made 55 appearances for United, though her spell there was significantly impacted by injuries.
Mannion suffered a season-ending ACL injury in February 2022 during a Conti Cup semi-final clash against Chelsea.
She returned to action a year later, earning a first Ireland call-up for the Marbella friendly against China. However a tweak to her knee in training ultimately cost her a place in Vera Pauw's World Cup squad.
Mannion penned a new deal with United that summer and helped the side win the 2024 FA Cup, coming off the bench in the 4-0 final win against Tottenham. She started at right-back in May's FA Cup decider against Chelsea, which United lost 3-0.
She's not part of the Ireland squad for next week's friendly double-header against the USA, with boss Carla Ward opting to give some of her senior players an extended summer rest. Mannion was an unused sub in the 1-0 Nations League win against Slovenia at the start of the month.
On Wednesday Everton confirmed Heather Payne will leave when her contract is up in a couple of weeks.
The versatile 25-year-old, who is also unavailable for the American games, has been at the Toffees since August 2023 after spending four years in the US collegiate system with Florida State Seminoles.
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