Chelsea have announced the signing of the left-back Katie McCabe, whose Arsenal contract expires on 1 July. The 30-year-old Republic of Ireland captain last month announced her Arsenal exit after 11 years and has signed a three-year deal with their London rivals, with the option for an additional 12 months.

McCabe was recently named in the Women’s Super League team of the season and in February added the Fifa Champions Cup to her collection of trophies at Arsenal, having also won the Champions League, FA Cup, WSL and three League Cup titles. She made 305 appearances and scored 36 goals for the club.

It is understood the decision to leave Arsenal was emotional and difficult one for McCabe but that she felt the time was right for a new challenge and was impressed with the value Chelsea saw in her.

McCabe, who grew up a Chelsea fan and idolised her compatriot Damien Duff, said: “It’s a new chapter in my career. This is something that I feel I’m ready for right now. I’m really excited to get going and show the Chelsea fans how ready I am to perform for the badge.

“I’m so looking forward to walking out at Stamford Bridge as a home player, being around the fanbase and competing for trophies on all fronts. This club has been successful for so many years. I want to keep pushing and driving that, and for me, it’s about bringing that success back to Chelsea.”

McCabe, who has 105 Ireland caps and has been their captain since 2017, said she was impressed in her conversations with the club’s head coach, Sonia Bompastor.

“Having had talks with Sonia and the club, I really got to grips with their ambitions, how they want to drive it and the direction they want to go in,” she said.