Liverpool Ladies FC have signed USA international defender Whitney Engen.

The 24-year-old, who has two international caps, will join Matt Beard's side in January ahead of the 2013 Women's Super League season.

Engen spent 2012 playing with USL W-League team Pali Blues.

Prior to that she turned out for the Western New York Flash in the US WPS League, where she was named WPS Defender of the Year and helped lead the team to the 2011 championship.

Engen said: "I have always been very interested in playing in the WSL so when the opportunity arose, I took it.

"Joining a club with such a legacy and impact in the world of football made the decision easy. I want to thank everyone at Liverpool who worked hard on my behalf to make this happen. I am very excited for next season."

Playing for the University of North Carolina, the centre-back was a First Team All-American in 2009 and named Defensive MVP of the College Cup.

Beard said: "I am delighted that Whitney has decided to join Liverpool Ladies FC.

"Whitney is a world-class central defender and I've made known since my time here that our back four is an area we are looking to strengthen.

"Hopefully this is the first of many signings for an exciting future for Liverpool Ladies."

Engen's agent, Faudlin Pierre, added: "Whitney had various offers from other teams around Europe, but the chance to play for Liverpool and the fact that the English WSL league is stable and continuing to grow at an impressive pace were ultimately the key factors."

Click here to follow Engen on Twitter @whitneyengen>>

Photo provided by US Soccer/ISI