New SSFC Women trio discuss pre-season ahead of league opener

Three new faces have found their way into the first team setup at South Shields Women this summer.

Ava England, Eva McDonald and Erin Naylor have all made the step up from lower in the pathway to join the rest of the squad over pre-season.

It has been a memorable past few weeks for the trio, with plenty of wins, goals and strong performances during training to reflect upon.

With the season opener against Spennymoor Town Ladies fast-approaching, we caught up with the new arrivals to hear their thoughts on how things have gone from their perspective.

Read below to find out what they had to say! 

Ava England

“I’m really looking forward to the Spennymoor game because it’s my first league game with SSFC Women, and I think it’s exciting to be given this opportunity in the first place.

“So far I feel as if I have really benefited from the different drills I have completed in training.

“There has been a good mix of testing fitness and tactics.

“There have been loads of positives in pre-season, such as getting to know the girls and working with the coaching staff.

“The two that stand out to me are making my debut against my old club, Washington, and making my first start against Whitehaven which ended in a great 11-0 win.”

Eva McDonald

“It’s been really good to be a part of the first team and I’m really excited about the new season.

“My favourite game was the one against Whitehaven - it was the last game of pre-season and it showed how much we’d improved over a few weeks… and because I scored my first goal!

“I feel more prepared going into games now because we have been back at football for a while and fitness is starting to come back.”

Erin Naylor

“The girls have welcomed me and the other 16s, and they are all really nice and are really helping in my development, and I feel I’m settling in nicely.

“I feel more confident after every game and pre-season has been a big part of understanding how the other girls play and communicate.

“Progress is a big thing, especially being new to the team, so hopefully I can learn from the other girls and coaches, and hopefully get plenty of minutes on the pitch.” 

Image credit: Craig McNair (@ideventphoto)