London City Lionesses midfielder Charlotte Fleming says that team achievements will always rank above personal accolades after an impressive first season at Princes Park.
The 20-year-old joined The Pride last summer following a short spell with last season’s FA Women’s Championship title winners Leicester City. Fleming has attracted rave reviews for some of her performances in a London City Lionesses shirt while she has collected a couple of Player of the Match awards this season.
When speaking about her first campaign at Princes Park, Fleming told FAWSL Full-Time that while the personal achievements are pleasing, it is very much a squad effort.
“It is nice to collect Player of the Match awards but at the end of the day, it is about the team performance,” Fleming said. “As much as I like getting Player of the Match, I would much rather win the game.
“It is the team – I wouldn’t be able to get those awards without the back-line, without the help of my midfield and the forwards, we are a team and we do it together. I take pride in getting Player of the Match awards but I am also thankful for the girls around me who help me.”
Fleming has played in 17 of London City Lionesses’ 20 games in this season’s FA Women’s Championship. The player said that she is thoroughly enjoying her first season of regular senior football.
She said “I love it, you can’t complain playing 90 minutes week in, week out. I came to City to develop as a player and I needed minutes under my belt. Nothing is ever guaranteed, you have to work hard for minutes and your place in the squad but I think I’ve shown Mel (Phillips) what I can do and what I can bring to the team.
“It is challenging when you get benched or when things don’t go your way but you just have to have the mindset that you are going to get in the starting XI the next game.
“It has been great, I love it and I don’t really have any complaints so far.”
Fleming is someone who has enjoyed being a member of winning clubs in recent years. She spent a long period at Chelsea prior to her spell at Leicester City last season. The midfielder said that there are differences between London City Lionesses and her former employers but some of the goals are the same.
“It is very difficult to compare a team who are competing for the Champions League and one which is competing for WSL promotion,” Fleming said. “Both teams (Chelsea and London City Lionesses) have the same morals and the same values.
“For me going from one environment to another, there are differences in physicality and pace of the game but the goals set, the team, the staff are very similar. Each player is there to do a job, each player has a great mindset and each player wants to win trophies. There are differences but everyone has the same goals at the end of the day.”
Fleming and London City Lionesses are in action again on Sunday when they travel to Bristol City in the FA Women’s Championship.
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