Sunderland Ladies have today announced the arrival of two new signings, with midfielder Lucy Staniforth and defender Kylia Sjoman joining the Black Cats. Both players have signed two-year deals keeping them at the club until at least 2017.
A return to familiar territory
23-year-old Staniforth has joined Sunderland for the second time after leaving in 2010 for Notts County, before spending a season at the then Bristol Academy and then joining Liverpool where she won the FA WSL 1 title in 2014.
The midfielder has hailed it as an “opportunity [she's] really looking forward to” and wants to “help the squad build on Sunderland’s success last season.”
Sunderland enjoyed their first season in the top flight of English football after finishing fourth.
Canadian international Sjoman joins Carlton Fairweather’s side from Scottish Women’s Premier League side Celtic Ladies.
It won’t be the first time that the defender has played in England after having a brief spell in the WSL with Doncaster Belles.
The 28-year-old has spoken highly of the set-up of the club: “The set-up here at Sunderland is the most professional environment I have experienced overseas.”
She is also looking forward to seeing “what we [Sunderland] can accomplish this year.”
Carlton Fairweather’s delight at duo signing
“They are two players with fantastic experience at the very top level of the game and will bring so much to our squad in terms of competition and quality,” said Fairweather in an interview with Sunderland’s official site.
The signings of Stanifoth and Sjoman comes on the back of captain Stephanie Bannon and defender Victoria Williams signing new deals at the club after impressing last season.
It hasn’t just been the case of new signings arriving on Wearside; midfielder Sarah Mcfadden left the club last week to join WSL 2 side Durham Women after spending five years with the Black Cats.