Helen Housby is set to return to Jess Thirlby’s England Vitality Roses squad after spending over a year away from the international netball scene. 

The 25 year-old shooter will compete in the Vitality Legends Series against the Jamaica Sunshine Girls in January next year.

It will mark the first international competition on home soil in a year due to the coronavirus pandemic and will be played behind-closed-doors.

Housby is returning from Australia following the end of the Suncorp Super Netball season with New South Wales Swifts.

She will also be joined by Sophie Drakeford-Lewis, Eleanor Cardwell and George Fisher in the shooting circle.

Midcourter Jade Clarke is on track to collecting her 180th cap as Serena Guthrie and Natalie Haythornthwaite will co-captain the team.

Thirlby said: “I am very pleased to be sharing the names of the players selected to compete in the Vitality Netball Legends Series. We have got an exciting team heading into this series, with some big names like Serena Guthrie, Helen Housby, Jade Clarke, Fran Williams and Natalie Haythornthwaite who competed in the Vitality Netball World Cup in 2019 in the lineup, plus we’ll see the return of Layla Guscoth and Beth Cobden on court after overcoming injury.

“This series provides the opportunity to continue to test existing and new combinations as well as create connections between our rising stars and the more experienced players, some, returning for the first time since the World Cup in Liverpool which I know we have been eagerly awaiting.”

The series against Jamaica will be for the Jean Hornsby Cup, named in honour of England Netball's first black player.

Vitality Roses Squad: 

Eleanor Cardwell, George Fisher, Sophie Drakeford-Lewis, Helen Housby, Laura Malcolm, Serena Guthrie (co-captain), Natalie Haythornthwaite (co-captain), Beth Cobden, Jade Clarke, Imogen Allison, Fran Williams, Razia Quashie, Vicki Oyesola. Training Partner: Summer Artman.