Thorns FC sign Janine Beckie to three-year contract

The Portland Thorns announced today that the club signed forward Janine Beckie to a three-year contract. The move was first reported yesterday by Meg Linehan of The Athletic.

The Thorns acquired Beckie’s rights from Racing Louisville FC in exchange for $75,000 in allocation money. Louisville is also able to receive up to $25,000 depending on Beckie’s play throughout the 2022 season. Following the trade for Beckie’s rights with Lousiville, the Thorns completed the transfer with Machester City, Beckie’s now former club, via allocation money. She will join the team in Portland and be added to the roster as soon as she receives her International Transfer Certificate.

“Janine is a versatile player who can play across multiple positions,” said Thorns head coach Rhian Wilkinson. “She works hard defensively, something I value very highly, and with her engine, athleticism, speed, and finishing ability, will bring a lot to our attacks. She is a team-first type of person, which will allow her to seamlessly fit in with this team and group of players. We are excited to have her here.”

The 27-year-old has made 86 appearances (starting 72) for the Canadian National Team, scoring 34 goals and assisting in 12. The Colorado native helped Canada to a gold medal in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and a bronze medal in the 2016 Olympic games.

In her four seasons with Machester City (2018-22), Beckie won two FA Cup titles (2019, 2020) and two League Cup titles (2019, 2022). She scored 21 goals in 84 matches for the Cityzens across all competitions, six of which came in the UEFA Women’s Champions League.

She was drafted eighth overall in 2016 by the Houston Dash. Beckie played in Houston for two years before being traded to Sky Blue FC (now NJ/NY Gotham FC) in 2018. Beckie made 38 appearances (32 starts), scoring five goals and assisting three for the Dash

She joins fellow Canada National Team teammate Christine Sinclair at Thorns FC, with whom she has plenty of experience playing alongside.

The club’s full release can be accessed here.