Jana Fernández has spoken of her happiness after moving to London City Lionesses in the summer transfer window.
The Spanish international moved away from her childhood club of Barcelona in August to make a fresh start in the Women’s Super League, and has emerged as a key star in the Lionesses’ squad, playing in all 19 of their league games this season.
Fernández Delivers WSL Verdict
Having struggled for game time in Catalonia with the successes of the team in both national and European competition, Fernandez was recruited as part of Michelle Kang’s plans to keep her Bromley-based side in the Women’s Super League ahead of the expansion to 14 teams at the end of this season.
Speaking to Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo about her time in England, the 24-year-old said:
“I have to say I’m incredibly happy. I’m bursting with happiness. I didn’t expect my first season away from home to go so well. I’ve got that little something I was missing, which was playing time, gaining confidence in myself, being able to play in a league that really pushes me to my limits.
“My family comes to London every month. My friends come every month too. So, I’m not bored at all. So, I’m super happy I made that decision, which, as it happened, has turned out better than I could have imagined.
“The difference is that this league is ultimately much more competitive. Big teams can never relax because they can lose to teams they might not expect, or that, in the Spanish league, they might not expect to lose to.
“That’s the good thing about this league: it’s much more competitive, and you go into every weekend with that extra motivation, playing in big stadiums like we are. It’s very important that they invest heavily to make that possible.
“To give Spain a positive point, I think there’s a lot of talent here, a lot of technical and tactical knowledge, which England might lack, and I hope that will change in the coming years. I think both countries have things to envy in each other.”
WSL’s Rise Continues
Despite the dominance of Chelsea in the competition’s recent history, the competitiveness of the WSL is greater than ever, with Manchester City, Arsenal and Manchester United also becoming challengers for both domestic and continental honours.
An expanded WSL should be able to continue this growth, with extra fixtures bringing in more clubs, income and interest into Women’s Football, to rival that of the United States, Spain and France over the coming years.
The arrival of Michelle Kang and the London City Lionesses has also enabled some of the game’s bigger stars to ply their trade in England, with Jana Fernandez, Grace Geyoro and Kosovare Asllani playing for the club in their debut season.
Eder Maestre’s side have had a solid opening campaign and have already secured survival with three games to go, and now they will look forward to trying to challenge in the cups and perhaps for a place in European competition next season.
