Kelly Smith is to tread in David Beckham’s transatlantic footsteps and follow her summer season in the United States by returning to play in Europe this winter.

The Boston Breakers forward has re-signed for Arsenal on loan and, after a holiday to recuperate from the European Championship, in which she helped England reach the final on Thursday night, will return to her former club. Beckham has extended his international career by alternating between his career with LA Galaxy and loan spells with AC Milan.

Smith, who scored her third goal of the tournament as England lost 6-2 to Germany in Helsinki, will be joined by Alex Scott, her Breakers team-mate, and Karen Carney, the Chicago Red Stars winger who scored England’s other goal in the Olympic Stadium, back at England’s premier women’s club.

The England trio all excelled in the inaugural campaign of Women’s Professional Soccer in the States this summer. After Hope Powell’s players enjoyed England’s best tournament for a quarter of a century, they are eager to put their down time to good use.

All three played for Arsenal, winning the domestic treble again last season, before turning professional in America.

“I’ve re-signed for Arsenal and will train regularly and see how we go,” Smith said. “I’ve told Vic Akers [the general manager] that I need a rest. I think the idea is we play in some of the big games, against the likes of Chelsea and in the Champions League. But it means it’s a year-long season so we’ll have to pace ourselves.” Carney said Smith was “only 25 per cent fit” during the finals in Finland but that England are intent on building upon their success in the World Cup finals in Germany in June 2011.

That tournament should coincide with the inception of the FA’s Super League, a semi-professional summer division comprising eight elite teams, after Ian Watmore, the governing body’s chief executive, told The Times that “we need to do it and we are going to do it”. The FA board meet next Friday. Watmore has this week been in negotiations with the broadcasting companies, looking to sell the rights for the England and FA Cup games that are up for grabs after the collapse of Setanta. It is understood that the FA will seek this opportunity to tie in television coverage of the Super League, which in turn would boost the clubs as they seek commercial sponsors to upgrade their women’s set-ups.

“Reaching the finals is a tremendous achievement by Hope Powell and her team,” Watmore said. “Now we need to use this as a catalyst to take the game forward.” Enabling England’s elite teams to upgrade to semi-professional status would increase their chances of competing with the likes of Germany for silverware. Anita Asante, who plays for Sky Blue in New Jersey, said: “We would definitely consider coming back to play in an English league if this happens. I know lots of the American girls say they would love to play in England because of the football heritage we have.”

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