Maisie Symonds admits that she had to bounce back from a difficult 2022-23 campaign to win this season’s women’s Young Player of the Season award.
The 21-year-old former Chelsea midfielder broke into the team on a regular basis, making 18 appearances, and was also called up into England’s under-23 squad.
“I came off a really hard season last season when I really didn’t play very much,” she said. “I was ill and then I got an injury.
“But this season I’ve played a lot of football, had a lot of exposure and got a lot of opportunities so it has been a great season and I’ve learned from some great players as well.
“The club brought in some experienced players like Vicky Losada and Pauline Bremer and they’ve guided me through.”
She also insists that former men’s academy coach Mikey Harris taking interim charge after the departure of Melissa Phillips has been a positive.
“We all love Mikey and we all hope he stays, to be honest. We get on with him really well and he has done an amazing job. He has thrown himself into it and done everything he can and we really appreciate him.”