After years of near misses, hard work and sacrifice, promotion to WSL2 finally gave Wolves Women the reward they had been chasing, but for captain Anna Morphet, the celebrations are already firmly in the past.
The focus has quickly shifted towards a new challenge: establishing Wolves at the next level while embracing the historic move to full-time football.
Promotion provided an emotional release after previous campaigns had ended in disappointment, with Morphet admitting the chance to finally enjoy the moment was important. “It was really nice just to break away from knowing there’s an exciting season coming ahead,” she reflected.
The celebrations lived up to the occasion, with the dressing room providing the perfect backdrop for the squad to enjoy a moment they had worked towards for years. “It was just good vibes, song after song hit perfectly.” Now, though, the hard work begins again.
A New Chapter For Wolves
Wolves are preparing for a huge transition into full-time football, with the change set to transform the daily lives of the players.
The club has significantly increased its staffing and support, with strength and conditioning, recovery, nutrition, coaching and operational staff now available to the squad on a daily basis.
A dedicated women’s section at Compton has also been created, while the players will have improved access to stadium facilities, including Telford.
For Morphet, who has spent around eight years with the club, the transformation provides a remarkable reminder of just how far the women’s team has come. “I remember being at the Aldersley Dome and getting my kit from Macca in the boot of his car,” she recalled.
The contrast between then and now could hardly be greater. Players can finally dedicate themselves fully to football, with some leaving other jobs behind to commit to the professional environment.
Even the smallest details demonstrate the scale of the change. There are no more late-night kit washes or trying to fit football around employment and other responsibilities. Football is now the priority.
Establishing Wolves In WSL2
Promotion has understandably created excitement, but Wolves’ immediate objective is grounded in realism.
The priority is to establish themselves in WSL2, remain competitive and ensure they can give a strong account of themselves against every opponent.
Morphet knows the standard will be significantly higher, but she insists Wolves will not simply sit back and defend for 90 minutes. “We appreciate the challenge it’s going to be and respect the quality that we’re going to come up against,” she said.
“But we’re not the type of group that’s going to go and sit in front of the goal for 90 minutes.” The ambition is to compete, build and carry the momentum of promotion into a new chapter.
At the same time, the squad understands that last season’s achievements cannot guarantee anything this time around. “You’ve got to park that history that we’ve made,” Morphet explained. “It gets you this far, but it’s not going to keep you in the league, win your games or get your points.”
Success Will Mean More Than Results
For Wolves, success will not simply be measured by where they finish in the table.
The squad will assess performances based on the demands of individual matches, including possession, chance creation, finishing and how effectively they execute the plans developed during training.
There will also be games where success requires something completely different. On difficult pitches or against physically demanding opponents, winning first contacts, headers and individual battles can be just as important as playing attractive football.
Blocks, tackles and defensive resilience will have their place too. For Morphet, the key is adaptability. Rather than judging every performance against one fixed standard, Wolves want to understand what each match requires and adjust accordingly.
Eight Years Of Change
Morphet’s personal journey mirrors the evolution of the women’s team. Having spent approximately eight years at Wolves, she has witnessed the side develop from a grassroots, part-time setup into a professional environment. That history makes promotion even more meaningful, but it also motivates to keep pushing forward.
After finally achieving the goal that had previously proved so elusive, there could have been a temptation to look back and savour what had been accomplished.
Instead, Morphet believes the achievement should provide fuel for what comes next. “Once you achieve what we finally got, it’s almost easy motivation to think, let’s keep going, let’s keep building.” The taste of success has only increased the appetite for more.
Leading Wolves Into A New Era
As captain, Morphet’s responsibilities now extend beyond what happens during 90 minutes.
She is helping lead the squad through one of the most significant periods in the club’s history, setting standards for full-time football while helping new players settle into the environment.
At the same time, she recognises the importance of learning from teammates who have experience of playing at higher levels. “I still want to be that leader and make sure we’re all continuing in the right direction,” she said.
That means supporting her teammates, maintaining standards and looking after the welfare of the squad while ensuring everyone remains focused on the same objective.
Building A Pathway For The Future
Wolves’ ambitions extend beyond simply surviving in WSL2. Community engagement and youth development remain an important part of the wider vision, with the women’s team determined to maintain strong links with Wolverhampton and provide role models for young girls and boys.
The aim is to create a pathway where young players can train, represent the club and progress through the women’s and girls’ setups. For Morphet, that connection is crucial.
The first team’s progress can show young players that professional football is genuinely attainable, turning the dream of playing at the highest level into something tangible.
The Block That Defined A Promotion Campaign
Among all of the memories from last season, one defensive moment stands out for Morphet. A crucial play-off block that prevented a goal became a defining example of the grit and determination Wolves needed to achieve promotion.
For a defender, those moments can be just as satisfying as scoring. “When you have to do the nitty-gritty and really dig in and put your body on the line, when you make a tackle or block that stops a goal, that’s a good moment as a defender.” It is precisely that mentality Wolves will need to take into WSL2.
Don’t Overthink It
After eight years of progression, Morphet has plenty of experience to draw upon yet, when asked what advice she would give her younger self, her answer is remarkably simple. “Don’t overthink so many things.”
Instead, she believes players should focus on themselves, keep working and give themselves every possible opportunity to succeed. “As long as you’re working on yourself the best you can and giving yourself the best chance you’ve got to do as well as you can in your football career, then that’s the main thing.”
It is a philosophy that neatly reflects Wolves’ current position. Promotion was the reward for years of work, sacrifice and near misses but it is not the destination.
Now comes the opportunity to make WSL2 the new normal, embrace the demands of full-time football and continue building something that future generations of Wolves players can benefit from.
For Morphet, the message is simple. “Be a good person, work hard, and good things can happen.
