3 days ago
Ex-England youth international among group returning for Swindon Women
Swindon Town Women have looked to ensure their defensive stability for next season after bringing back multiple defenders to the squad.
Richard Wood has continued to build his squad for next season as Swindon Women look to push for promotion from the FA Women's National League Division One South West.
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Swindon have looked to keep much of the group from last season around after they performed well in finishing third and winning the Wiltshire County Cup.
The barrage of contract announcements has persisted with the reveal of five defensive players sticking around.
Read more: Swindon Town Women complete raft of contract extensions
Swindon Women manager signs new contract for next season
Key player pens new contract with Swindon Women
Goalkeeper Hannah Cox, who made 17 appearances last season, will remain on between the sticks, having established herself after previous spells with Oxford United, Wycombe Wanderers, and Abingdon United.
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Sahara Osborne-Ricketts, who was part of an England under-17 training camp as a young player, will continue to marshal the defence as she agreed to a new contract, having been a key figure in the side last season.
Fellow centre-back Isi Meade has also signed on for next season. The defender established herself in the side last season, making 19 appearances, after arriving from Actonians Ladies last summer.
Katie Sherwood is a third defender to commit for next season, another with ties to Oxford, but joined towards the end of the 2023/24 season and was a regular fixture in Wood's side in 2024/25.
Taylor MacDonald will also remain an option in the middle of the park, where she has shown herself capable of playing in a more traditional role as well as a holder.
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MacDonald has been a big feature of the last two seasons under Wood, making 50 appearances and netting nine times.
As well as these retentions, there was also the announcement of a first contract for 17-year-old attacker Elise Clayton after she had a strong year with Chiarna Deller's development side and made eight appearances last season for the first team, netting once.
The youngster who has been with Swindon in the academy since 2012 will be given the chance to show she deserves a permanent role in Wood's first team.
Wood said of Clayton: "Elise Clayton is an exceptionally talented young player who demonstrated at the end of last season that she is ready to begin training and earning opportunities with the first team.
"In training, she has proven capable of competing for a place at this level. To help her thrive, we must support her, ensure she faces no undue pressure, and allow her to continue enjoying her football.'
