'Passionate' West Ham welcome captain back to WSL and shine light on 'something greater' 

09/17/2024 10:29 AM

West Ham may not have won any trophies last season, but their winter transformation should have won a prize.

Their January additions included some huge names on the global stage with Australian powerhouse Katrina Gorry and USA midfielder Kristie Mewis, who is also the fiancee of Chelsea star Sam Kerr, arriving. 

Before that transfer window the Hammers had picked up just five points in the league – armed with their new signings, they picked up double that by the end of the season. 

They underwent a remarkable revolution which saved their place in the top flight, despite recording their lowest ever WSL finish. 

It is likely that the relegation battle this season is going to be far more intense now.

Every team in the WSL will have a men's counterpart team in the Premier League – something which should give each club better financial capabilities. 

For West Ham, it means a stronger start to the season is an absolute must – but there is no doubt they have a manager at the helm of the club who is capable of achieving all that and more. 

Manager: Rehanne Skinner

When Rehanne Skinner took over at West Ham at the beginning of the 2023/24 season, she became the first female manager of the WSL era.

In a league where just four out of 12 managers are female, it is so crucial that an experienced figure like her who has been in management for 18 years is in place at the club. 

After a tricky first season where she showed herself to be astute in difficult situations, she told talkSPORT that she is feeling full of optimism about what comes next for the team.

"I see this season as another chapter of a long-term project here at West Ham," she said. "I have been at the Club for just over a year now and we have already seen the team progress leaps and bounds in that time. 

"As I begin my second season in charge, I hope we can continue that progress, both on and off the pitch. The Club have recently appointed a Head of Women's Football, Philippa Cartwright and a Head of Performance, Richard Collinge. 

"Both are new roles as part of a restructure to help link each department with the board across operations, performance and technical. Working closely with the Board – Baroness Brady, Tara Warren and Nicola Keye – and our recruitment team, we have been able to attract young, exciting players with international experience during this transfer window.

“The calibre of players within the women's team highlights the Club’s intentions to continue on an upward trajectory and we are looking forward to seeing everything coming to fruition over the course of the season."

She added: "As part of our preparation we were delighted to take part in the inaugural Women's Perth International Cup. Being given the same opportunity to travel to Perth as the men's team had last summer is great for the exposure of the women's team and we were grateful for the hospitality and professionalism of the event run by the promoters and Western Australia Government who are keen advocates of women's sport.

"I was lucky enough to spend some time in Australia during the FIFA Women's World Cup last summer. I saw first-hand how the success of the Matildas is changing the landscape of the women's game out there, making it one of the fastest growing sports in the country.

“We are immensely proud to have had the opportunity to play in front of our West Ham fans in Perth and it was an incredible experience for everyone involved."

Star player: Dagny Brynjarsdottir

Rarely have a club looked so transformed without their captain – but it has to be said that West Ham will be absolutely delighted to get Dagny Brynjarsdottir back to the pitch after the birth of child. 

Was it a coincidence that Brynjarsdottir went on maternity leave and West Ham suddenly recorded their lowest ever WSL finish? Unlikely. 

The midfielder has 17 goals in 64 appearances since joining the club in January 2021 and was the club's top goalscorer and the Player of the Year in the 2022/23 season.

The Iceland international – who once told talkSPORT that she had wanted to play for Portugal as a child – will bring back some much-needed stability to the Hammers. 

One to watch: Katrina Gorry

At 5ft1in, Katrina Gorry might not appear as one of the most intimidating midfielders – but as many of her opponents have learned over the years, you would be very wrong to underestimate her. 

You might remember her from the Women's World Cup back in 2023, where she starred in the Australian team who made it all the way to the semi-final on home soil before eventually being knocked out by the Lionesses. 

She also recorded the highest number of tackles and covered the most ground of any player throughout that tournament – a very impressive feat given the sheer talent on show there. 

The 33-year-old has 107 international caps so far and her impact at West Ham was instantaneous last season. 

She became the latest in a line of Australian stars (see Chelsea's Sam Kerr and Arsenal trio Steph Catley, Caitlin Foord and Kyra Cooney-Cross) to take to life in the WSL very well indeed. 

West Ham's maternity positivity

Passion, togetherness, potential: those were the words Skinner gave when asked to sum up the club. 

And it is absolutely impossible to talk about West Ham without praising the passion and togetherness they have shown in shining a light on maternity in the women's game.

The film Ómarsson was released last season, a project which focused on Brynjarsdottir’s experience of pregnancy and motherhood. 

It is a message of positivity that has also involved Gorry and her daughter, Harper, who has been central to the club since the Australian joined. 

For Skinner, it is a message that transcends the WSL and the club and she admitted it was something they would never stop supporting. 

"Since the moment I joined the Club, one of the main things that struck me the most is the sense of togetherness," she told talkSPORT.

"The feeling of being part of something greater than us as individuals and this is really important. West Ham United is renowned as being a family club, ingrained in its community, and that feeling of being part of a 'family' means so much to everyone connected to the Club. 

"We have to acknowledge people's lives and that football is a part of that – not the only thing. I am proud that the Clun advocates for women to be elite athletes and still have children as it shouldn't be one or the other.

"Ómarsson was an industry first and for those that have watched the documentary, they will no doubt agree that it is an inspirational watch. We are immensely proud to have two Mums in the group, Dagný and Katrina, and the Club will continue to do everything we can to support them, both as a player and as a mother."