Ipswich Town Women’s right-back Grace Neville says she’s settled into life with the Blues on and off the field, the New Zealand international having made the move from London City Lionesses following their promotion to the WSL in the summer.

Neville, the women’s teams’s first ever Football Fern, says she immediately took to the club.

“I instantly loved it when I first came and had a little look around,” she said. “The girls are brilliant, facilities are lovely. I feel like I’ve settled right in on-pitch and off-pitch. It’s been easy to adapt, it’s been really good.”

Reflecting on the start to the season, she said: “Good. We had a tough first two games but I think we’ve shown progression in each game that we’ve played and I think there’s a lot more to come from us. There’s a lot of potential there.

“Each week we’ve looked a lot better. I think we’ve still got a lot of things to work on and [manager] Joe [Sheehan] knows that, too.

“But each week we are training hard to try and get those big rocks to little rocks instead. We are working on it and I think the performance at the weekend keeps showing that.”

“It’s just like building blocks, we just keep adding to the layers and we are getting more success. It’s exciting to be a part of.

“There’s a lot of young players, our average age is a little bit younger but that’s not necessarily a negative thing. They definitely strengthened getting in lots of experience, such as Rianna Dean and Jenna Dear.

“I think they’ve brought in experience and we had a hard start, a bit of a challenge at the start, but I definitely think each game we’ve progressed in a positive way and we are working really hard on the training pitch to get up to the level that we need to, so I think there’s a lot of potential in this group.

“It’s the first time for some of those players playing in this league, so I think that is going to take a little bit of time, but hopefully we’re getting into a little bit more of a groove now.”

The highlight of her time at Town so far has been the 0-0 draw at Charlton, who currently top the division.

“Although we won the Portsmouth game [3-2], I actually think holding Charlton to a point [was a bigger achievement], they’re obviously sitting top of the league at the moment, so to hold that as long as we did, I’m just really proud of the team,” she added.

“We showed hard work, grit and character to just stay in it. I’d say that’s our biggest moment so far, but I’m sure we’ll have a lot more big moments to come.”

The 29-year-old says she’s enjoying playing down the right flank behind Sophie Peskett, who she believes will go a long way in the game.

“I have to try and keep up with her usually, which is challenging!” she laughed. “She’s a great player and I think she’s going to go on and do amazing things. This is just the start of her footballing journey.

“She’s a pleasure to play with, always there when I need her, which is good. I feel like we’re linking up very well along the right-hand side.”

This weekend, Neville, Peskett and their teammates will have another tough assignment when second-placed Birmingham City visit the JobServe Community Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

“A big one,” she reflected. “Birmingham are a tough team, I’ve played them quite a few times now.

“Very clinical, very good round the box. I think we’ve set up in training well, so I think it should be a positive game.”

Neville joined Town having helped London City Lionesses to the Women’s Championship title last season, the second tier subsequently changing name to WSL2 this summer.

“Last year was amazing,” she said. ‘We just took it game by game, which is something I say to the girls here; each game is a new challenge and you never know, you could be playing bottom of the league or top of the league, it doesn’t matter, on the day it’s football and anyone can win.

“I was there for a long time, six years, so I watched the team grow, have its ups and downs and then Michelle Kang came in and transformed it into this amazing club that it will push on and become. Very fond memories of my time there.

“But I was super-excited to leave that, park that chapter and then come here and start a new adventure.

“It was difficult in the sense that I felt like I saw it through and finally got the promotion, which was why I stayed for long, always felt like there was something there and we could push on a do good things.

“But I felt like it was the right time for me to step away and start a new challenge here. It was the right decision for me.”

She faces a reunion with her old teammates when they visit the JobServe Community Stadium in the Subway League Cup on Sunday 23rd November.

“I’m excited to play in that game,” she enthused. “I always think it’s good when you play your old team, you can show what you’ve got and it’ll be a good game.

“I’d like to think that we’ll put out a good team and be strong against them, and it will be nice to see some old faces as well.”

Before that, she’s off away with New Zealand, for whom she has won 13 full caps, towards the end of this month when she’s expected to become the first Town Women’s player to feature for the Football Ferns.

“We’ve had a little break in our schedule but finally we’re back, which is good,” she said. “We’ve got Mexico twice and USA, three exciting games. Short, back-to-back. I think we can take a lot out of this and hopefully challenge and get some results.

“I played for England in my youth [at U17 and U19 levels] but my mum’s from New Zealand, that’s how I have that connection, and I always wanted to explore that option, but never really had the chance, being young you can’t fly all the way across the world, it was a challenge.

“And then when I was about 21, I got in contact with the head coach at New Zealand and they were keen to get me out there.

“I went out and absolutely loved it, fell in love with the team and their philosophy and style of play, so I’ve been there ever since. It’s exciting to be a part of.

“When one door shuts, another door opens and that was what it led me to and going to an Olympics and, hopefully, a World Cup is my next ambition. I really want to kick on and do that with the Ferns.”

Photo: TWTD

Ipswich Town Polls