London, Aug 15 (IANS) Rhian Cleverly has been named as the captain of the Brentford women’s team for the 2026-27 season. The centre-back joined the Bees from third-tier side Rugby Borough. She will have Maddie Phillips as her deputy, while Lucy Potter and Makeba Black also in leadership support.
Cleverly joined Carly Williams’ side in July and is excited to make the most of the opportunity at hand. “It’s just a massive privilege, to be honest. I wasn’t expecting it; obviously I’m pretty new in the building, but from minute one, I knew this club was special,” she told Brentford FC. “Most people that know me know that I love communicating; I love speaking, both on and off the pitch. One thing I’m trying to do more is listen as well.”
Cleverly looks up to the players who have already been associated with the club and will lean on them for support. “Being new in the building, I know I still have a lot to learn, learning from the people that were already in the building and have been part of this project for a long time and hopefully taking it to the next level as well. I like to set very high standards from my experiences playing at a high level, and I think just being true to myself is really important to me,” she said.
The 31-year-old further emphasised the support she has got from Pillips since she entered the club. “Looking at us all, different ages, different experiences… hopefully we balance each other well with our strengths and our weaknesses,” she said. “A big thing for me is everyone being themselves. If they can all be themselves, what a leadership group that is! Maddie from day one made me feel so welcome. I know my way around the building because of Maddie, so I feel like we’ve got a good partnership both on and off the pitch, and we can really drive that culture together.”
The team’s head coach, Caryl Williams, reflected on Cleverly’s appointment. She heaped praise on the defender for having made a positive impact on the team on and off the pitch. “Rhian brings with her a wealth of experience throughout the women’s game both domestically and internationally,” she said.
“She has made a positive start to her journey as a Bee on and off the pitch, bringing with her leadership skills, high-level communication skills and a strong desire to learn and develop as a player.
Brentford Women FC currently play in the London and South East Premier, a fifth-tier English football league. Cleverly feels the Bees have it all to climb the ladder. “From minute one I’ve been blown away; I would never have thought this was a tier five side… the support we’ve got in place, the girls, the standards are great. I think it’s just adding that extra one per cent and the consistency,” she explained.
–IANS
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