NJ/NY Gotham FC announced Monday the signing of defender Ellie Jean to a one-year contract with a one-year option.

Jean returns to the United States after most recently playing for PSV Eindhoven of the Women’s Eredivisie in the Netherlands. The former Penn State University star will compete in the National Women’s Soccer League for the first time.

“Ellie Jean is a player I’ve admired since her time at Penn State and someone I’ve kept tabs on from afar,” Gotham FC head coach Scott Parkinson said in a statement. “I hoped she was going to enter the draft after her 2019 season, but she opted to go to PSV. Since then, she’s gained invaluable experience playing in The Champions League and against some of the best talent in Europe. With her game intelligence and bravery at full-back, Ellie suits our club perfectly. And not only that, she is an amazing human who is from Connecticut, so she will be playing for her NWSL club. Ellie is a great addition to our team!”

The 24-year-old defender most recently appeared in 22 Women’s Eredivisie matches and four UEFA Women’s Champions League matches for PSV Eindhoven.

A Coventry, Conn. native, Jean enjoyed a successful collegiate career with the Nittany Lions and frequently featured for the U.S. women’s national team at the Under-23, U-20 and U-18 levels.

“I’m super excited to join this club,” Jean said in a statement. “I think this program and team are focused on doing great things on and off the field which something I also strive to do. It’s an honor to represent one of my favorite cities in the entire world. I really look forward to doing all I can to positively impact the team and represent how amazing NJ/NY is. Let’s go!”

Gotham FC begins the preseason on Wednesday before kicking off the 2022 campagin on Saturday, March 19, with group play for the NWSL Challenge Cup. The Cup will feature three groups of four teams, playing double round-robin matches, semifinals and the NWSL Challenge Cup Final on Saturday, May 7.

Front Row Soccer editor Michael Lewis has covered 13 World Cups (eight men, five women), seven Olympics and 25 MLS Cups. He has written about New York City FC, New York Cosmos, the New York Red Bulls and both U.S. national teams for Newsday and has penned a soccer history column for the Guardian.com. Lewis, who has been honored by the Press Club of Long Island and National Soccer Coaches Association of America, is the former editor of BigAppleSoccer.com. He has written seven books about the beautiful game and has published ALIVE AND KICKING The incredible but true story of the Rochester Lancers. It is available at Amazon.com.