Netball star Helen Housby will play for Manchester Thunder again in September.

Cumbrian Housby, from Drumleaning, near Wigton, will be in Thunder’s colours once more at London’s 02 arena.

Most recently, Housby had been playing for New South Wales Swifts in the Australian Suncorp Super Netball League, where the team finished sixth in the eight-team league.

Carlisle-born Housby will be joined by former Manchester Thunder captain Sara Bayman for the Fast 5 All-Stars Netball Tournament on September 23.

The pair will join eight current Thunder players in the squad of 10 as the ‘All Star additions’, with Emma Dovey, Kerry Almond, Dani Bloomfield, Bea Skingsley, Gabby Marshall, Sophie Morgan, Kathryn Turner and Amy Clinton also having been selected by head coach Karen Greig.

England international Housby, 22, told the Manchester Thunder website that the chance to play for Thunder again was too good an opportunity to miss.

She said: “I’m super excited to be back in the Black and Yellow, even if it’s just for a day.

“I’m looking forward to seeing some old team-mates and coaches, and playing at an amazing arena.”

Meanwhile, in Australia, the head coach of the NSW Swifts team that Housby was a part of for the 2017 season, Rob Wright, has stepped down.

“First and foremost, I would like to thank everyone at the NSW Swifts and the Board of Netball NSW for giving me the opportunity to coach such a fantastic club and be part of a wonderful journey these past eight years,” he said.

“This has not been an easy decision to make but I feel now is the right time for me to take some time out and I will continue to focus on individual athlete coaching and development.”