By Alexis Monteith

Jamaican international Kayla McKenna has signed to Madrid CFF in Spain’s Liga F for the next two seasons.

The 27-year-old forward had a year left on her contract with Villarreal CF Femenino after joining them in the summer of 2023, but their recent relegation from Liga F culminated in the Reggae Girl’s transfer for an unknown fee.

McKenna was Villarreal’s top goalscorer in what was a difficult season for the club, registering 11 goals and two assists across her 30 games during the campaign. Initially signed for one year, her impressive performances earned her a contract extension in the middle of the season.

Her debut year in Liga F no doubt impressed Madrid CFF, who detailed McKenna’s skills in the official announcement of the footballer’s signing on their website.

“The Jamaican player stands out for her physical power, mobility in attack, and great goal-scoring instinct,” the club stated. “The new forward for Madrid CFF represented Jamaica in the 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, demonstrating her versatility as a leading forward, a winger on both flanks and even as a second striker or attacking midfielder.“

The Spanish football outfit went on to say, “Madrid CFF is one of the best clubs in the recruitment and incubation of talent and will continue working to remain so in the future, wishing Kayla Jay McKenna the best of luck with this shirt”.

Indeed, McKenna’s signing bodes well for her development as Madrid CFF have an eye for recognising skilful players and a knack for developing them. While not among the Spanish women’s football powerhouses such as Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atlético de Madrid, the club has seen a number of its players graduate to top clubs around the world.

Among the elite footballers who have spent time at Madrid CFF are Spanish international Ona Batlle of Barcelona, Brazilian star Geyse at Manchester United, Zambian international Grace Chanda of Orlando Pride, and the world’s most expensive women’s footballer, Zambia’s Racheal Kundananji, who transferred from Madrid CFF to Bay City FC for a record-breaking women’s transfer fee of £625,000 in February 2024.

The club also boasts the largest women’s youth academy in Spain comprising 22 affiliated all-female teams. That they are one of the leading sources of players for the women’s youth national teams is hardly surprising.

Since being promoted to the top tier of women’s football in 2017, Madrid CFF have never been relegated and last season’s sixth-place finish was their second-highest at this level. Being unaffiliated with any men’s team, the club is currently the leading independent women’s club in the country.

This makes McKenna’s signing a progressive one for the player who will be hoping to build on her achievements in Liga F with this talent-focused football organisation.

The Jamaican made her debut for the Reggae Girlz in 2019 but missed the Women’s World Cup that year due to injury. Four years later she was part of the Reggae Girlz team that won plaudits for their impressive showing at the 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

Mckenna began her professional career with Houston Dash in 2019, winning the NWSL (National Women’s Soccer League) Challenge Cup in 2020 before travelling to Scotland to join Rangers in 2021. There she won the Scottish Women’s Premier League, the Scottish Women’s Premier League Cup and the City of Glasgow Women’s Cup in 2022 prior to signing for Villarreal the following year.

McKenna is the granddaughter of veteran Jamaican politician Pearnel Charles Sr.