Dulwich Hamlet Women have strengthened their squad for the upcoming season with new three new signings: Sophie Manzi, Alex Newman and Sarah Walters.
Manzi, a striker, joins from AFC Wimbledon and has already been on the scoresheet four times in pre-season. She featured against Dulwich when the two sides met in a friendly last summer.
She said: “I’m happy to sign for a club that’s got so much potential and the quality to get promoted into [FAWNL] Division One. I can’t wait to get started. The setup here is amazing: great facilities, great coaches and a great bunch of girls that work hard and are passionate about the club.”
Left back Newman joins from Crawley Wasps, having previously played for Keynsham Town. She has also played for Dorset County, Bristol Academy, and at international level with Northern Ireland.
Newman said: “Dulwich appealed to me as the team are looking to push for promotion this year. The club has both the competitive side of football, with a culture which promotes the social side as well. The girls and the coaches are great and have made me feel at home already! I can’t wait to see what this season brings and I’m looking forward to being a part of a club which is like a community and a family.”
Former Cheltenham Town captain Sarah Walters, who plays in defence, also signs. An experienced centre back, Walters has represented Wales and also played for Cardiff City, QPR and Crystal Palace.
Walters said: “I’m excited to be returning to football with Dulwich Hamlet, after taking a break from playing last season. It’s a fantastic club with a great group of players and I’m looking forward to being a part of the promotion push towards the FA Women’s National League this season.”
With all three players bringing experience from the leagues above, manager Ryan Dempsey is confident they will prove useful acquisitions.
He said: “I’m looking forward to having Sarah in the squad for fixtures. Sarah trained last season but had other commitments. She’s brought good leadership within the group and communicates very well.
“As soon as Sophie became available she was my number 1 target. She’s proven that she can score goals at a higher level. She wants to score goals but also works hard and wants to learn and develop. It’s an area we needed to improve upon to help reach our goals and targets of gaining promotion.
“Alex will help bring balance to the squad as we only had one left-footed player. She has lots of experience playing at a higher level. She has a good game understanding and is a good defender.”
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