After 10 years with Arsenal Ladies, Leah Williamson celebrated turning 18 by finally putting pen to paper and signing her first senior contract with the club.
The talented young midfielder worked her way up through the Arsenal’s Centre of Excellence to become a regular for the first team last term where she made 12 appearances in the 2014 Women’s Super League, and helped Arsenal lift the FA Women’s Cup and reach the Continental Cup final.
She was also named England Women’s Youth Player of the Year in 2014 and her impressive performances have not gone unnoticed by manager Pedro Martinez Losa, who believes Arsenal’s fruitful academy can give them the edge over their competitors in this year’s league campaign.
He said: “We have good characters with Arsenal in their blood. You can see pictures of Leah in an Arsenal kit when she was eight years old. She has taken her opportunities and is ready to compete.
“We won the Development League cup last year and the U-17s are in another final and we have players here too who can help me teach them how to win.”
Williamson has also caught the eye of her Arsenal team mates, prompting Jordan Nobbs to tell Sky Sports: “Even in training I knew she was going to be something special.
“You can see that drive in her and when I look at her I see some of the attributes that I had. She runs around and works so hard as a player.
You can put her anywhere on the pitch and she’ll be able to do a great job. I think that just shows her talent.”
