View: Portsmouth Women right to install some consistency as team enters professional era

Dan is a sports writer and broadcaster, who wrote for Breaking Media Limited's club sites including Pompey News between May 2024 and May 2025. Graduating from the University of Huddersfield in 2018 with First Class Honours in Sports Journalism, Dan has worked with several EFL clubs, as well as with BBC Radio, talkSPORT and TNT Sports. He previously resided in Sydney, Australia, where he continued his career as a freelancer in various sports. Dan was born and raised in Portsmouth, comes from a Pompey-supporting family, and was in attendance at both of the club's FA Cup finals in 2008 and 2010.

Published on:

13 Jun 2024, 4:15 am

Portsmouth Women have made the right call in retaining key players for next season, as the team enters its professional era.

After storming the Women's National League southern section in 2023-24, Jay Sadler's side will turn full-time this summer after just a year as a semi-professional outfit.

With a clutch of new staff being recruited in an already underway process, Pompey have also taken up the contract extension options on five players: Nicole Barrett, Jazz Younger, Ava Rowbotham, Emma Jones and Izzy Collins.

Portsmouth Women retain key players for first professional season

Whilst several free agent stars naturally did leave the Blues following the conclusion of the triumphant campaign - 10 to be precise - it's a huge boost that Portsmouth have been able to keep hold of experienced stars such as this quintet, particularly with the numbers some have produced.

There are internationals and key Championship experience among the Pompey squad as they look to navigate the demands of their inaugural season in the second tier.

This is the main reason why the squad needed some consistency and for the foundations to remain in place in the dressing room - why fix what isn't broken?

Westleigh Park, the home of Pompey Women

There is enough transition going on around the women's side of the football club without the need for ripping up the floorboards, and Sadler will no doubt be buoyed by keeping these five at his disposal, alongside the seven who remain under contract.

Recruitment is now a priority in locating more experienced players to bulk out the squad and give it that bit of required nous at this level - and a full-time General Manager will help Sadler out in this regard tremendously.

In other Portsmouth news, the club are interested in bringing a League One captain to Fratton Park.

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