Oxford (Oxford Daily News) 5 February 2026 – Oxford United Women have announced the signing of forward Alice Bussey, completing a return to English football after five years in the United States, with the deal pending international clearance. The 23‑year‑old joins manager Liam Gilbert’s squad for the remainder of the 2025/26 Women’s National League campaign, adding attacking depth as the club targets a strong finish to the season.
Bussey, who came through the youth ranks at Gillingham before moving to the University of North Alabama, is described by the club as an experienced and goal‑oriented forward whose collegiate record in the US has drawn professional interest back home. Her arrival follows a season‑long spell in Alabama in which she featured prominently for North Alabama’s women’s soccer team, captaining the side and leading the squad in goals, shots, and shots‑on‑target during the 2025 campaign.
Who is Alice Bussey?
Alice Bussey, a 23‑year‑old forward from Hythe, Kent, began her football journey in the English academy system before relocating to the United States to combine study and sport at the University of North Alabama. Over roughly six years in Florence, Alabama, she became one of the most seasoned players in the programme, making 89 appearances, scoring 22 goals, and earning multiple collegiate honours.
As reported by North Alabama Athletics (University of North Alabama), Bussey led the Lions in goals with five during the 2025 season, while also topping the national charts for shots‑on‑target percentage at 0.692, a statistic that underlined her clinical edge in front of goal. Her collegiate accolades include selection to the All‑ASUN First and Third Teams, Preseason All‑ASUN, All‑South Region First Team, and several academic‑honour lists, reflecting both her technical quality and off‑pitch discipline.
Head coach Chris Walker of North Alabama told North Alabama Athletics that Bussey “walks away with two degrees” and is now “the eighth student‑athlete that played for Walker at North Alabama to sign a professional contract.”
Walker added: “I am really proud of everything Alice has accomplished during her time with us at North Alabama. I am excited to watch her play at the next level. With her work rate and her ability, I have no doubt she will be successful.”
Why Oxford United?
Oxford United Women have framed the signing as part of a broader project to strengthen their Women’s National League side and build a squad capable of challenging higher‑placed opponents. The club, which has retained several core players and added new faces over recent transfer windows, is positioning itself as a destination for ambitious young professionals returning from overseas experience.
As reported by Oxford United Football Club, Bussey joins alongside fellow attacker Maya Kendall, with the pair earmarked to bolster Oxford’s attacking options ahead of key fixtures in February, including league clashes with Watford and Bournemouth, plus an FA Cup Fifth Round tie against Charlton Athletic. The club’s official release notes that Bussey’s move is “subject to international clearance,” a standard requirement for players returning to the UK from outside the European Economic Area.
What does this mean for Oxford’s squad?
Bussey’s arrival adds a proven goalscorer to a forward line that has already shown flashes of quality in the Women’s National League this season. Oxford United Women currently sit in mid‑table contention, with the club aiming to push towards the upper half of the division and remain competitive in the FA Cup.
As highlighted by North Alabama Athletics, Bussey has previous links to the club through Kate Wiseman, the defensive midfielder who joined Oxford United Women ahead of the 2023/24 season after her own spell at the University of North Alabama.
Bussey told North Alabama Athletics: “This club has a lot of momentum currently. It has been so fun playing with Kate (Wiseman) again. I am looking forward to the next stage of my football career, but could not have done it without the coaching staff, athletic trainers and players at North Alabama.”
The re‑uniting of Bussey and Wiseman is expected to ease her transition into the squad, both on and off the pitch, and may allow manager Liam Gilbert to deploy a more fluid attacking unit built around their shared understanding from collegiate football.
How does this fit into wider recruitment?
Oxford United Women have been active in the transfer market over the past 12 months, retaining core players such as Kate Wiseman, Beth Howard, and Nicole Barrett, while also bringing in fresh talent like Maya Kendall and now Alice Bussey. The club’s retained‑list announcement last May confirmed a mix of experienced professionals and emerging players, signalling an intent to balance continuity with injection of new energy.
As noted by Oxford United, Kendall and Bussey are both described as “fast and direct attacking players” whose profiles suit the style of play Gilbert has been developing. Kendall, who previously played for Watford, Bristol City and Exeter City, has been similarly upbeat about the project, telling the club:
“I think this Club has a huge amount of potential and the groundworks, the people, the facilities are all going in the right direction. It fits where I am in my career right now and I think it will really drive me forward as a person and as a player.”
The double‑signing of Kendall and Bussey suggests Oxford United Women are targeting an attacking uplift ahead of a busy February schedule, during which they will face Watford and Bournemouth in league action and host Charlton Athletic in the FA Cup Fifth Round at the MGroup Stadium.
What happens next for Bussey
With international clearance pending, Bussey is expected to begin training with the first‑team squad in Oxford as soon as the paperwork is finalised. Her proximity to her hometown of Hythe, just over two hours from Oxford, may also ease the logistical and emotional aspects of her return to England after nearly half a decade in the United States.
As reported by BVMSports, Bussey is now the eighth player from North Alabama under Chris Walker to sign a professional contract, joining a group that includes former Division II National Player of the Year Chloe Richards in the German Bundesliga and defender Stacey Webber, who extended her deal with Llanelli Town AFC for the 2024/25 season.
For Bussey, the move to Oxford United Women represents a return to her home country at a time when English women’s football continues to expand in profile and professionalism. Her stated ambition, as relayed to Oxford United, is to help the club “grow” and to use the environment at Oxford as a platform to further her own development as a professional footballer.
As she prepares to make her debut in the Women’s National League, attention will be on whether her collegiate‑level finishing and work rate can translate into consistent goals and assists for Oxford United Women in the months ahead.
