Leeds United Women bolstered their ranks with the signing of experienced goalkeeper Charlotte Oates.
The former Huddersfield Town stalwart became the fifth new face through the door at Thorp Arch this summer, and was part of the squad that lifted the Julie Chipchase Trophy last weekend.
With the season’s opener against her former club just around the corner, Oates is excited to get started under boss Simon Wood.
“It is great to be honest,” said the 30-year-old. “I joined Huddersfield when I was 16, so I have had a fair few seasons with them, as well as two with Bradford City, who I captained.
“I had itchy feet so when this opportunity came up, I had to take it. It is a club close to my heart, I have supported Leeds all of my life, so it is an honour to put on a Leeds shirt and I look forward to being with the club who have been great so far.
“Simon was keen to have me at the club and it has felt really good since the first training session. The set up is second to none, the sessions are planned and personalised, which is rare at this level, so it has been a fantastic opportunity.
“Pre-season so far has been really good. I had a lot of anticipation getting back into things, but I had been focusing on keeping fit so it has been an easy transition, though I have definitely not missed the bruises of throwing myself about on the floor making saves!
“We have had some really strong training sessions and I have gelled with the team. They have been welcoming, so having the opportunity to train at high intensity with high quality has been an honour."
Oates joins the experienced Carrie Simpson in the Whites' goalkeeping ranks, and believes that healthy competition is key for the team to continue improving.
“It is about pushing your teammates that little bit further to get those best performances because we all want to win and we are all there for that reason.
“Training with somebody as quality as Carrie has been incredible, as well as having that competitive element but friendly and healthy competition is inevitably pushing towards one goal, where we want to go out each week to win and challenge for that league title.
“I am quite a leader in a sense and positive person to be around, because we are all there for the same reason. When we are playing incredibly well and getting those wins, that makes everyone’s lives happier.
“It is going to be a fun start to the season. Now I have got that Leeds shirt on, moving forward it is all about Leeds and we will hopefully get that first win. What a first game of the season it will be!”
