On The Path To Success – Loanee Jones’ Leicester Ambitions
- Manchester United youngster Carrie Jones joins LCFC Women on loan
- The 18-year-old attacker will be with the Foxes throughout 2022/23
- The Wales international is excited to get started in a Leicester shirt
- She is confident that the move will benefit both her and the team
The Manchester United youngster, aged 18, arrives with three seasons of senior women’s football under her belt after coming through the ranks at Cardiff City, making her debut in 2019.
The Red Devils then provided her first Barclays Women’s Super League involvement over the past two seasons and having achieved a lot at an early stage of her career, this new challenge is one she is eager to get stuck into, alongside a few familiar faces.
“I’m really pleased and I’m really excited to get started,” Jones told LCFC TV during her first visit to Belvoir Drive. “Hopefully I can help this team to success. I’m still only 18 years of age and at a Club like Leicester in the WSL, I think it will be a really good move for me.
“Having my debut at 15, going on my first Wales camp at 14, I’ve had a lot of experience. I think it’s an advantage for me, hopefully I can use that. That was really challenging but all those experiences will help me get to know the team and settle in.
“I have my Welsh friend, Hannah [Cain] and I know Siggy (Jess Sigsworth) and Abbie [McManus] from back when they were at United so hopefully, they will help me settle in with the team. You can ask any player and they’ll say it makes it a lot easier, so hopefully they’ll show me the ropes.
“I can’t wait to come in on the first day. I think obviously the facilities that they have here are really good and it helps with the move and to show that they are really supported in the women’s game. It’s a huge advantage to have. They are unreal, that’s all I can say really, I’m so impressed.”
Known for developing young players within England’s Under-19s setup, Lydia Bedford coached the youngest squad in the WSL last term, adding to the youthful side by signing a trio of Young Lionesses in January - Missy Goodwin, Elysia Boddy and Freya Gregory on loan.
For Jones, already a senior Wales international, it is a good prospect to be a young attacking player working under a progressive coach who has outlined her plans for the campaign. Reflecting on last term, meanwhile, the Newtown native commended City’s approach to their debut WSL season.
The former Cardiff youngster added: “I’d say I’d describe myself as someone who works very hard for the team, leaves everything out there and hopefully will create loads of chances. I’ve spoken to Lydia a few times and I’m just really excited to get to work with her.
“What she’s done for this team in the past couple of months has been really good, really positive, and where she wants to take this team - to the next level - I just can’t wait to be a part of that, it’s really exciting.
“A team that is newly promoted into the WSL, you might look and think they might sit back, but not this team, and it says a lot about the team’s character that they have a lot of belief in themselves and they have a lot of faith.
“Since they were promoted, I think they’ve done really, really well. Also being a newly professional team, I’ve been really impressed. I just can’t wait to join in that story. There’s always a challenge and it’s exciting to see which challenge is next.”