Riko Ueki joined West Ham United on 12 September 2023

The forward joined the Club from Japanese WE League side, Tokyo Verdy Beleza in her native Japan. 

Ueki broke into the Beleza senior team in June 2016, marking her debut with a goal in a League Cup match against Speranza Osaka. Since then, Ueki has been a regular for the side, making over 130 appearances and helping them to successive league titles between 2016 and 2019. 

On the international stage, Ueki has over 25 caps for Japan, with her breakout year coming in 2022, when she scored eight times in eleven appearances. 

The forward featured in every match for her country at this summer’s 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup finals, scoring against Zambia and grabbing a goal and an assist in an impressive 4-0 win over eventual winners Spain in the group stage.