Gilly Flaherty believes she “still has a lot to prove” after joining Liverpool from West Ham.

The 30-year-old defender spent four years with the Hammers and captained the team before leaving at the end of last season.

Flaherty will link up with manager Matt Beard again, having previously worked with him at West Ham, and the centre-back is excited to get started with the Reds, who earned promotion back into the Women’s Super League last season.

She told the club website: “It feels great. When I left West Ham I was unsure of where I was going and then it only took one chat with Beardy and Russ [Fraser] to know how exciting it is to be here and the vision of this club as well.

“I’m so grateful I’ve been given the chance to join the family.

“I’ve been playing in the WSL for over 10 years now and there may have been people who maybe thought it was time for me to call it a day, so I’ve got a lot to prove, not just to other people, but to myself as well. It’s a big move for me.”