Having joined the Belles last season on loan, Liverpool defender Maz Pacheco has signed up with the Doncaster club for the upcoming Spring Series and 2017-18 season.
Instant impact
Racking up a solid 12 appearances for the downed Belles, Pacheco became Emma Coates’ go to left-back as soon as she moved to the Keepmoat, acclimatising to her new surroundings and teammates with ease. The tricky left-back one of the few to get on the scoresheet for the Belles in their fateful 2016 season.
Already familiar to a handful of her teammates from spells in the England U17 and U19 squads, Pacheco was a bright spark for the Belles during her loan spell and with competition for starting spots incredibly tight in Widnes the move is a sound step in the right direction for a player who still has a lot to learn.
Pacheco is pleased about her new deal, reflecting on her time with the Belles last year as one of development happy not to have just been on the pitch playing, but “playing with confidence”. Her new club and teammates a key component in how she carried herself on the pitch, learning every time she took to the turf, the Liverpudlian is aware that although she’s developed and learnt a lot over her loan spell there’s still more ground to cover, “thankful” for the chance to continue to learn in Yorkshire.
Coates pleased to bring back Pacheco
Having already confirmed Manager’s Player of the Year in Sophie Barker, Coates as equally as thrilled to have the Sponsor’s Player of the Year on board for the coming months too. Originally her first singing after taking over from Glen Harris, the Belles boss sees the permanent deal for Pacheco as a “statement of intent".
Lauding the impact the defender had on the team during her move, Coates is looking forward to continuing to work with and help Pacheco develop and reach her "potential" during her stay with the Belles.
A young player set to become a key part of the Belles squad as they fight for promotion back to WSL 1 when the season commences in September, continued first team action will be vital as Pacheco looks to make her mark with England as well as Donny.