Chelsea Ladies have added England international defender Laura Bassett to their ranks.

The former Birmingham City Ladies captain said she can not wait to begin the latest chapter of her illustrious career.

Bassett joins from Birmingham City and goes straight in to the squad which departs for the International Women’s Club Championship in Japan this Saturday.

The 30-year-old has 33 England caps and has represented her country at the 2009 and 2013 European Championships as well as the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup.

She said: "Chelsea is a massive club with a big club mentality so it is a new challenge for me, which is exciting.

"The staff and the players are really ambitious here and Paul and Emma have shown their intentions with the squad they are putting together so for me to be part of that is something I am over the moon with.

‘This is a fresh new outlook, challenge and chapter of my career and I want to see if I can be part of something successful again with a new club.

"I want to be part of getting to where this club wants to go and where it has shown the potential it can be.

Bassett becomes the latest new addition to Chelsea Ladies manager Emma Hayes’ squad, with fellow England international Rachel Williams also joining the club earlier this month.

The two new signings will join the rest of the Chelsea squad in Japan for the IWCC and will meet either Australian League winners Sydney FC or Japanese League runner-up NTV Beleza in the last four.

If successful they would fince Japanese Cup and League winners INAC Kobe Leonessa or South American side Colo Colo in the final.