Captain Carla (Carla Ward Player Interview)

Sheffield’s captain is blunter about the debut WSL season than outsiders were: the players and the manager were massively disappointed, however good fifth place looked. An experienced squad found the step up from the Premier League a completely different game, went into pre-season without stable management, and stumbled early; once Zoe Johnson stepped up and embedded her methods they learned quickly, put seven or eight unbeaten games together and settled in fifth. Pre-season has since gone from two days a week to three, with plenty of friendlies. She names Ellie Gilliat as the player to watch, flags the Yorkshire derby with Doncaster as the fixture to open on, prefers the summer league but accepts the logic of the winter switch, and praises Tommy on the gate.