New Brighton & Hove Albion striker Ellie Brazil revealed that the prospect of playing in the Women’s Super League for the Seagulls was a major factor in her joining the club.
The former Fiorentina striker saw her move confirmed to Albion on Friday, after making 17 appearances for the Serie A side last term, and she discussed the many reasons for her move to the club.
She said, “It’s an exciting time for the club at the moment.
“It seems the perfect move for me because the team are going into the Women’s Super League next season and the facilities that the club have are incredible.
“They combine with the men’s team and it works perfectly with everything I want to achieve.
“Playing under Hope Powell was massive for me too because her experience and the way she is as a coach really suits me as a player - she seems like she’s going to push me beyond my limit and that’s great for me to develop and improve.”
Having made the move abroad when she was 18, Albion’s newest recruit discussed how the experience in another country had helped her grow as both a player and person both on and off the field.
“My time in Italy was a different experience and I went there to see another side of the game and play against different opposition at a senior level abroad.
“I’ve seen that it’s very technical game out there – but physically the English game made me want to return because it dominates all leagues from what I’ve seen.
“As a person I matured and grew up a lot – moving to a new country at the age of 18 made me learn things very quickly compared to at home with my family – it’s helped me a lot as a person.
“As a footballer I feel like I went out there and improved myself technically on the ball, and I think that’s now one of my strengths that I can bring back here.”
Brazil joins the side at an exciting time with the prospect of top tier football on the horizon for the 2018/19 campaign for the Seagulls, and she revealed what she believes the side and herself can achieve in the club’s debut season at that level.
“From a personal perspective I want to enjoy my time with the team in Brighton’s family environment.
“As a side and a club, I think we’ll be underdogs for the new season – but that’s not a bad thing because they have a lot to look forward to – the challenge for us will be to test ourselves against the best and compete against everyone.
“I’m very hard working and enjoy running for the team – but I want to score goals for this club - hopefully with the likes of Hope [Powell] and Amy [Merricks] I can develop and continue to do that, and hopefully you’ll see me on the scoresheet.”