Three youngsters step up to Women's First Team
Jess Geach, Kelsey Blight and Roxy Thomas will all step up to the Argyle first team squad for the upcoming 2024/25 FA Women’s National League season.
The trio have progressed through Argyle’s pathway, featuring within squads at all different age groups and following in the footsteps of several current first-team members.
In what will be an important season for the Pilgrims, the addition of the trio and the recent contract signing of Ellie Sara will bolster Ryan Perks' squad ahead of the exciting campaign.
“I think the pathway has been very successful over the last few years while I've been at the football club,” Perks said. “I've alluded to it previously that I probably took the job on knowing the talent which was coming through, and to see them start to break into the first team is fantastic. We're proud of our successful pathway over the last few years.”
Geach and Blight have featured in Argyle’s pathway system from under-12s, whilst Thomas joined in the under-10s and was rewarded with a visit to an England Under-15s National Talent Camp a few years ago.
Roxy plays as a left-sided defender, is composed on the ball and likes to get forward and supply balls into the front line. Centre-back Jess leans on her confident one-on-one defending and physicality as strengths, which Perks is hopeful can translate with the step up. Kelsey’s versatility and technical skillset allow her to feature in multiple positions across the pitch and find the back of the net.
“I'm grateful for the opportunity to step up into the Women's first team,” said Roxy. “I've been at Argyle since I was young, so it is nice to step up.”
Kelsey said: “It's always a pleasure to go higher in the football club, and I think this is a good step for me where I am at the minute.”
“It's amazing,” Jess said. “I've been working for this my whole life and to finally get it, it's a bit of a relief and I'm over the moon to have this opportunity.”
Despite having the chance to move up into the first-team scene, Perks reminds them that earning their place in the match day squad will not come easy.
“We’ve not been shy in giving players the opportunity regardless of age,” Ryan said. “If they're good enough, they'll play and they'll start. It's down to those players to take their opportunities and stay in the team.
“Competition for places this year is going to be healthy and, hopefully, those girls bring some added quality into the squad.”
Argyle’s first pre-season fixture is this Sunday, 7 July, against Moneyfields FC. Several trialists who joined in with the first day of pre-season are expected to be part of the squad, as Perks looks to bolster his ranks further.
