Leicester City defender Sophie Howard says that she has been impressed with the impact made by January transfer window signings Saori Takarada and Yuka Momiki.
The Japanese duo have quickly found their feet in the Barclays Women’s Super League, earning rave reviews for their performances in Leicester City shirts.
Defender Howard recently spoke to WSL Full-Time about her new teammates, stating that she has been impressed with how the pair have eased into life at Leicester City. Howard went on to hail the team’s family culture which has also helped with the transition process.
“I’ve been very impressed,” Howard said. “They came through the door at the beginning of January and they’ve fit in right away.
“It’s a very different culture. Obviously, both of them played in Sweden, so I think that they’ve got used to the European culture a little bit. It’s good that they have one another to feel that little bit closer to home.
“One special thing about this team is that we’re in it together, no matter where you come from. Once you step through the door, you’re a part of Leicester City, you’re a part of this team, you’re a part of this family.
“We’ve had a Swedish player come in [last month] as well and Azzy [Asmita Ale] is from England but they all came in and were part of the family from day one and that’s something we pride ourselves on.”
Takarada and Momiki are yet to show their full characters on the training pitch but the pair will spend a lot of time bonding with their new teammates in the coming weeks and months.
“They’re both still fairly quiet but every now and then, they crack a little joke and you can see them smiling in the background which is very precious,” Howard said.
“As a whole, we are a great group that loves to graft and spend time with one another to grow and put performances on the pitch.”
Leicester City added four new faces to their squad in last month’s transfer window and Howard believes that there is strong competition for places across the team.
She said “It was a big transfer window. We brought in high quality and high competition, that’s what we wanted. We want to grow that competition so that every week, it is a fight for your place in the team and in the squad.
“With Saori and Yuka coming in, they brought high quality from day one and now, it’s a fight for positions.”
Leicester City return to action after the international break with a fixture against Chelsea at The King Power Stadium on Sunday 3 March 2024.
About The Author
