Sunderland Women manager Mick Mulhern believes that the club’s international pedigree must be recognised with a place in the new Super
League.
Goalkeeper Rachael Laws’ call-up into the England U19 set-up, takes Sunderland’s growing number of England players up
to nine. Laws and fellow keeper Helen Alderson, are joined by outfield players Lucy Bronze, Sophie Halliday, Lucy Staniforth, Demi
Stokes, Sophie Williams, and Jordan Nobbs in the junior England set-ups. Midfielder Kelly McDougall is already a senior England international.
The
club has also had great success in the past with three former players – Jill Scott, Carly Telford, and Steph Houghton – now regular
features in the senior England squad.
"The FA want to take women’s football to the next level and I am right behind that," he said. "The clubs who are developing the best
young players deserve their place in the new league. Working with the FA we can make the women’s game much stronger and give it a
much greater profile."
Mulhern is delighted that 19-year-old Laws has received the call into the U19 squad, alongside team-mates Nobbs, Bronze and Stokes. "Rachael has done very well this season," he said. "She deputised for Helen Alderson last season, but has taken her chance since Helen suffered a cruciate ligament injury.
Courtesy of Neil Watson, Sports Editor, Sunderland Echo.