Whilst the devoted and fanatical followers of the senior NUFC Men’s team await with bated breath the follow-up to Sandro Tonali, The Lasses have been busy announcing four signings in the last couple of days.
Head of Women’s Football Su Cumming and Manager Becky Langley had assessed their targets once the decision was made to go full-time and they have been delighted to see they’ve hit the bullseye with their aims.
It started with midfielder Emma Kelly who began her career at Newcastle’s North East rivals Sunderland Women and has also played for Middlesbrough Women. The 26-year-old played in Iceland for IB Vestmannaeyjar in 2019 and returned to Sunderland in 2021, following a two-year stay at Birmingham City Women.
Kelly has represented England at both under-17 and under-19 levels, boasting vast experience in the Women’s Super League from her stints with Sunderland and Birmingham.
More recently, the Middlesbrough-born midfielder has plied her trade in the Barclays Women’s Championship for the Black Cats where she was Captain but now she’s a Mag.
Next in was attacking midfielder Elysia Boddy. Boddy, 19, made 11 appearances for Barclays Women’s Championship winners Bristol City Women last season.
Prior to the 2022/23 campaign, the midfielder had a six-month stint in the Women’s Super League (WSL) with Leicester City Women, where she made her WSL debut aged just 18.
Boddy began her career at Middlesbrough, making her senior debut with the Teesside club at the age of 16. Despite her age, the midfielder has bundles of experience in the top three tiers of women’s football and still has her best years ahead of her.
Boddy has also represented England from under-15s to under-19s level, scoring against Finland on her under-19s debut in February 2022.
The third signing was yet another midfield payer and one with a very NUFC sounding name! The return of ‘Keegan’ to the NUFC ranks no less. Amber-Keegan Stobbs to be exact.
Stobbs, whose first name is a product of her father’s love for Newcastle United legend Kevin Keegan, arrives in the North East from Women’s Championship side Lewes FC Women.
Starting her career at Washington Spirit in the United States, the 30-year-old has a catalogue of experience including the Women’s Super League, the Championship and the FA Women’s National League Southern Premier Division.
The midfielder is no stranger to success, either, helping Washington Spirit Reserves win the USL W-League national championship in 2015.
Stobbs has represented Reading Women, Everton Women, West Ham Women, Charlton Women, Crystal Palace Women, Watford Women and Lewes throughout her career, meaning she brings a wealth of knowledge to Langley’s side.
And fourth and not the last for sure is Former Sunderland Ladies winger Tyler Dodds. The 27-year-old is a Gateshead-born wide player who has played for Middlesbrough Women and Durham Women as well as the Black Cats in English football.
The winger rose through the ranks at Sunderland and broke into their first team in 2014, where she remained for three years. In 2017, Dodds represented England and Great Britain at the 2017 World University Games in Taiwan.
After stints at Durham and Middlesbrough, Dodds moved to Italy in 2020, and helped second-tier side Pomigliano C.F. achieve promotion to the top division. She moved to Glasgow City in 2021, and played in the UEFA Women’s Champions League before she returned to Sunderland in the summer of 2022.
Not only does Dodds bring club experience to Newcastle, she has also represented England at under-17, under-19 and under-20 level.
Four quality incoming players and all in the midfield department. After the release of several first-team players early in pre-season we knew recruitments were coming and now we can see by the level of the signings the ambition Wor Lasses have.
Defence and attack will probably also be strengthened in the coming days as The Mags look to go straight through the Northern Premier League and reach The Championship at the first time of asking. Not many would bet against them!
