Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool both announced contract renewals on Friday as Gemma Davison and Josie Green extended their stay at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium as Kirsty Linnett extended her deal on Merseyside.
Davison has signed a new contract with Tottenham Hotspur until 2021. She has been capped 16 times by England and has also played for Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea in the Women’s Super League.
The forward also has plenty of medals to show off as she has picked up the league title on four occasions as well as winning two FA Cups. Davison picked up one of her FA Cups at Arsenal in 2013 before being a part of Chelsea’s double winning squad two years later.
Davison aged 33 made 16 appearances in Tottenham’s debut season in the Women’s Super League in 2019-20 , including nine starts as they finished seventh in the table.
She has also spent time in the USA during her illustrious career as she featured for New York Magic, Chicago Red Eleven, Buffalo Flash, Western New York Flash and Sky Blue FC.
Speaking to the club website about her new contract Davison said “I’m thankful to Spurs as being here has made me enjoy my football again. The environment has been right for me – I feel valued and that helps me play at my best. I really appreciate all the hard work that is being done at the Club”
“I believe we have an exciting future ahead and I would take huge satisfaction in helping build, guide and push the team to reach greater levels next season.”
Meanwhile Josie Green has penned a new two year deal at Tottenham Hotspur Women the club announced on Friday morning.
Green played 14 times including 12 starts for Spurs in the league during the season accumulating 1112 minutes.
The combative midfielder was named as Tottenham’s vice-captain ahead of the 2019-20 season and she went on to lead the side out against West Ham at the London Stadium and Arsenal at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in November.
Green arrived at Tottenham Hotspur in 2017 and was part of the squad that won promotion to the Women’s Super League league In 2019 as well as being part of the side that won a quadruple in 2016.
Green also made her Wales debut at 16 and after a few years out of the squad has worked hard to return to the international scene where she is now a regular.
Talking to the club website about extending her stay in north London the Welsh international said “I am really pleased to have signed a new contract with the Club. I feel that I am continually developing as a player and a big part of that is down to the staff and the environment around me at Spurs. I want to continue to grow as a player and focus on improving my game as much as I can to help the team progress further in the WSL”.
As for Liverpool Linnett has signed a new two year extension. Linnett has made 36 appearances for the club so far, scoring six goals in the process. She found herself playing in a new position last season, excelling in a No.10 role.
Manager Vicky Jepson told the club website “I’m delighted that Kirsty will be staying at Liverpool . In the past season we started to see Kirsty’s ability to adapt to a new role within the team, demonstrating her versatility as a player which contributed in many of our team performances”.
“Kirsty is a team player who will put the team first before herself – a trait that any manager would want to see in a player”.
“Off the pitch, Kirsty brings a spark to the team socially and brings the best out of her teammates with her positivity”.
On signing her new contract Linnett said “I’m delighted. Last season was tough but I think what we have at the club, among teammates and staff, what we’ve created is something special. It’s nice to be a part of. It’s a fantastic club and I’m looking forward to next year.
“The city’s amazing, I love the people and how passionate the people are about football. It’s nice to be a part of and I’ve really been enjoying it.
“Last year was disappointing from a footballing point of view and it would be nice to try to rectify that and get us back to where we belong. I think it’s all about us getting together now and getting that chance to fight to get us back into the Women’s Super League”.
She also went on to talk about his she was adapting to her new position as she explained “Last year I settled into a new position and I absolutely loved it,” she continued. “I think I thrived there and it’s one of the happiest I’ve been in my career”.
“That position is really important to me now and I just want to keep it, keep learning and getting better every game and every session”.
“We’ve all missed the football a lot. We’ve tried to keep in touch as much as we can on video calls and sessions together. We’ve kept that team bond and I think it’s special. Hopefully the rest of it starts paying off because we do have really good foundations as a team. We’re all ready to get back into training in a couple of weeks and start putting things right. We’ve all committed to putting the club back where it belongs”.
She previously played for Birmingham City, Notts County and Reading and has represented England on the U-15, U-17, U-19, and U-23 national teams.
The Reds however have announced a departure as Niamh Charles has called time on her Liverpool adventure as they drop into the Championship.
Charles made her first team debut as a 16-year-old and went on to make 59 appearances, scoring 11 goals for the Reds.She has also represented England at Under 17,19 and 20 level.
Jepson told the club website it’s sad to say our goodbyes to Niamh as she’s someone we would like to see continuing wearing the Liverpool shirt,”.
“I still remember the day Niamh first signed for our club at the open trials when she was 14, she stood out a mile off”.
“She’s been an incredible role model to many of our youth players across our Regional Talent Club, being one of the most successful graduates from our youth set-up”.
“I have no doubt that Niamh will go on and achieve her goals in her next footballing chapter. She’s a perfectionist and always works at 110 per cent in every session and in every game she competes in”.
“It’s been a pleasure to work with Niamh and play a part in her development with everyone else here at Liverpool Women past and present, and we will all be watching from afar hoping she continues to grow and develop further”
“Thanks for all your years as a Red, goodbye for now and good luck for the future”
On departing the club the academy graduate explained “I have been a Liverpool supporter for as long as I can remember and going from a fan to a player has truly been a dream come true,” she said.
“Playing in the famous red shirt has always been an honour – from the first time in the academy to wearing it at Anfield in front of over 20,000 people last year. I will forever be grateful to this club for letting me live my dreams. I want to thank all the fans, who make Liverpool so special – it has been an honour to represent the club and the city for you”.
“Finally, I wanted to say thank you to all the players and staff, past and present, who have been a part of my journey. I have learnt so much from you and from the Centre of Excellence. I wouldn’t be the player I am today without your help and guidance but now is the time for me to seek a new challenge”.
While Chelsea have announced their third departure of the summer as Anita Asante has left the club. The former England midfielder moves on after her contract expired at the Women’s Super League Champions.
The defensive midfielder returned to Chelsea in January 2018 from Swedish side Rosengard almost a decade after her previous spell with the Blues.
The 35-year-old ends her second spell with the Blues after playing 35 games under boss Emma Hayes.
Defender Deanna Cooper has also departed, and forward Adelina Engman has joined French club Montpellier.
Manager Emma Hayes said: ‘I could spend a lot of time talking about Neetz – how can I say in a few sentences what a person has meant to me over a number of years? All I know is that I’m full of pride about the person she is.
‘The contribution she’s made in her playing career to date has been exceptional. She’s always around winning. She holds everybody to the highest standards, but also demonstrates them herself.
‘She’s a fabulous team-mate, she’s been a friend and supportive of everything I’ve done. I don’t think it’s the end – Anita Asante and my path will cross a number of times in the future.’
United manager Casey Stoney expressed her delight that one of her key players has extended her stay with the club as she said “Kirsty is a fantastic talent who has contributed so much to the team over the last two years. She works extremely hard and is constantly improving; a senior call-up for Scotland this season is testament to the work she puts in every day here at United. As a young player I also know there is much more to come from her and I’m looking forward to seeing her continue to develop on and off the pitch.“
