Hemp is Manchester City's top-scorer in the Women's Super League this season; she has scored 14 goals in 43 league appearances since joining from Bristol City in May 2018
Thursday 6 January 2022 18:05, UK
Manchester City forward Lauren Hemp has signed a new contract with the club until June 2024.
City's top-scorer in the Women's Super League this season has scored 28 goals in 81 appearances in all competitions since joining from Bristol City in May 2018.
The 21-year-old made her full England debut in October 2019, won her first FA Cup with City at Wembley in the same year and was named PFA Young Player of the Year for a second time in 2020.
Following a second-place finish in last season's WSL, City sit sixth in the table after four wins from their opening nine games, with Hemp playing a key role in helping Gareth Taylor's side work through an injury-hit start to the campaign.
She told mancity.com: "I'm delighted to have signed a contract extension here at City.
"It's a club where we're constantly competing for trophies and success - I've already enjoyed some amazing moments here since joining three-and-a-half years ago, and I know that there is much more to come from this team.
"I'm surrounded by some of the best players and coaching staff in the world, and having them around me will only help to develop me even further over the coming years."
Taylor added: "We're absolutely thrilled that Lauren has committed herself to this club for another two years.
"She is one of the game's brightest young talents, is an absolute pleasure to work with and has a very exciting future ahead of her.
"We're only just scratching the surface with her at 21 years old and that's an incredible thought given what she has achieved so far in her short career, but she's also still learning from everyone here at City.
"We can't wait to see what the next couple of years hold for us as a team and her as a player."
With the Barclays FA Women's Super League returning to action this weekend and the Women's Euros just a few months away, which players can stake their claim for a place in the England squad?
The Lionesses will be playing a home tournament this summer, which was postponed by a year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
As hosts, England will kick off Euro 2022 at Old Trafford when they host Austria on July 6, and manager Sarina Wiegman - who led the Netherlands to victory in the previous European Championships - will be keeping a close eye on the WSL's English players ahead of her squad announcement later this year.
As the league returns to action after the winter break and only a few months to leave a mark, we look at England's up-and-coming players who will be hoping for a spot in the squad...
Chelsea's game against Tottenham on Friday has been postponed due to a combination of Covid-19 cases and injuries in Emma Hayes' squad.
The postponement of the London derby followed confirmation on Wednesday that Manchester United's WSL trip to West Ham on Sunday has also been called off, due to an outbreak in the Hammers squad.
Both matches were set to be shown live on Sky Sports as the WSL returns from the winter break, but will now be played at a later date.
The FA has confirmed 40 players and staff from across the WSL and Women's Championship have tested positive for Covid-19 in the seven days up to and including January 3.
An FA statement read: "Between 28 December 2021 and 3 January 2022, there were 40 positive COVID-19 tests across the Barclays FA Women's Super League and FA Women's Championship.
"The FA is continuing to work with clubs to help mitigate the risks of COVID-19 within their squads, and ensure that players, coaches and staff are kept safe."
