Having followed in the footsteps of her teammates, Georgia Stanway took the WSL by storm during the 2016 season and now that she’s 18, Manchester City have rewarded her form with her first senior contract.

Destined for greatness

Fans of Blackburn Rovers wouldn’t have been surprised to see Stanway have such an impressive 2016 as the young attacker has always possessed a certain flair on the pitch. Starting the year off with a bang and a 30 yard strike against Liverpool in the FA Cup round of 16, it was set to be her break-out year as the talented forward went from strength to strength. With every outing, whether start of substitute appearance, the England youth international paid back Nick Cushing’s faith in kind, working hard for the cause in the particular Man City way.

Training with England seniors clearly rubbed off on the young forward as she began to lead on the pitch, earning the armband for her own international outings, a consummate professional for the England U17 team who took home Euro bronze. Unable to help her side progress past the quarter-finals at their first ever U17 World Cup appearance, Stanway still managed a glut of goals for her country throughout the year.

Where do I sign?

When talking to ManCity.com the Lancastrian said she was, “Over the moon,” to be putting pen to paper and signing on the dotted line for City. Clearly at the club she wants to be at, Stanway’s first thought when she found out Cushing wanted her involved for the next season was, “where’s the pen?!

Happy in the environment and feeling she’s at the right club to progress and continue her development as a player, Stanway knows there’ll be no slacking off and is keen to keep both feet firmly on the ground. “Important” to keep doing as she has been, the work she’s putting in off the pitch is show on it, and Stanway is happy to build on a strong 2016 – for both club and country.

Although Cushing doesn’t possess a huge amount of squad depth there will always be staunch competition for starting spots and Stanway is willing to keep enduring to get more time on the pitch. Glad to be in a positive environment, “everyone wants the best out of each other,” remarked the attacker, lauding the “right team spirit” to continue to achieve and be as successful as they were during 2016.

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About the author
Sophie Lawson
Neutral football fan travelling around Europe, covering matches and bothering footballers for interviews