Doncaster Belles captain Leandra Little has signed a new deal with the club ahead of the 2016 season.

Little played an integral role as the team won promotion to WSL 1 last year, and she will hope to continue to do so in the division this season as they look to establish themselves in the top flight once more.

With an exciting new project developing at the club, they are enjoying a wonderful off-season, with the 31-year-old the latest of many to sign new contracts whilst other big names have arrived to help them to success this campaign.

Nonetheless, she is one of the most important signatures they have secured during the last couple of months, with her so crucial to the team.

Little thrilled with deal

Speaking to Doncaster Belles' official website, Little expressed her delight with signing a new contract, saying she is "really pleased" and is feeling "really positive with how the club is moving forward."

With the likes of Natasha Dowie joining the club, and highly-rated striker Courtney Sweetman-Kirk sticking around, the Belles are certainly in high spirits heading into the new campaign, and their captain's new deal will only increase that.

"It's great to be back in FA WSL 1," she added, saying that the team are now back where they believe they "belong" and now they just need to go about "proving that."

With everything that is currently happening with the team, the skipper added that "it's a really exciting time" to be a part of the club, saying that a recent "team building session" has "epitomised that" as the players had a lot of "fun" together, with the new signings fitting in seamlessly.

Little guided her team to promotion last year. | Photo: Doncaster Belles
Little guided her team to promotion last year. | Photo: Doncaster Belles

Now, the focus is on the current season and staying in WSL 1 though, and Little believes that the fact that the team all share the same "vision" will help them move "forward" - both "as individuals and as a club."

However, the captain admitted she wants to do "more" than just "[stay] up." Instead, the club want to be "competing" in the division, "year in, year out." 

"I feel that [with] the players we've brought in," she continued, "and those we've managed to keep hold of - we can challenge."

Little also spoke about former WSL 2 rivals Sunderland, who gained promotion in 2014 instead of them, saying that their example in the 2015 showed that "it's possible to go up, compete and do well."

The Lady Black Cats finished fourth in a wonderful season, with them challenging for the title at one point and defying all expectations. Now, the Belles want to "follow a similar model," with them "not just there to make up the numbers."

Captain wants to do good for women's sport too, not just the Belles

As well as wanting to be successful with Doncaster this year, Little also expressed her desire to help promote women's football - and women's sport - this year, especially to those at the school where she teaches in Sheffield.

"I've always been big on promoting women in sport," she said, as well as "getting more girls into sport from a young age."

Therefore, she wants to "demonstrate" that young people can "get involved in sport and stay in sport" - just like she is doing. She believes that if she's able to do "something [she] love[s]" as well as "a full time job," and show this to the girls she teaches, then it can "increase their participation as well."

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About the author
Ameé Ruszkai
Head of the Sunderland, Swansea City and women football sections at VAVEL UK. Email: [email protected]