A step by step reveal of the team’s five new players took place across social media, welcoming the Eagles to the squad. Following this introduction, we’ve got to know each of them a little better.
Aimee Everett
To begin, the youngest of the five new names is 20-year-old Aimee Everett. A fantastic addition to Palace alongside former Leicester City WFC teammate Millie Farrow, the midfielder is looking forward to her future with the club, saying: “I think the club is really developing in the women’s game and doing great things, which is really exciting to be a part of.”
Although her story highlights some noteworthy accomplishments in the game, picking up youth plates and Women’s Super League promotions for Liverpool Under-23s and Leicester City WFC respectively, Everett wants to take on more in her new role at Palace, including furthering her evolution as a player:
“I don’t think I got to achieve what I wanted as an individual during this time [so far at other clubs]. So I think now, at Palace, I can really focus on my development and progress with the team.
“Personally, I’d like to get as many minutes as possible, to gain lots of experience and improve my game. As a club, I’d like to help us win games and improve on where the team finished in the league last year and show how good of a club Palace is.”
Charley Clifford
For the second introduction we welcome Charley Clifford. The midfielder joins Palace from long-time club Charlton Athletic Women, having made her first-team debut at 16, only four years earlier having started training with the Addicks’ Centre of Excellence.
The two teams have enjoyed a rivalry over the course of the last season, with Charlton finishing just one point below the south Londoners at the end of the FA Women’s Championship.
Clifford references this close playing relationship when discussing the reason she chose Palace as the next chapter of her career: “[It is] the ambition of the club, but also the mentality of the coaching staff and the girls, having played against them for a long period of time.”
With over a decade in the game and a vast number of appearances (over 270) for her former club, the 28-year-old is a stellar addition to Dean Davenport’s side. She carries that experience in her desires for the squad as a whole, as well as herself, wanting “to help the team achieve a higher league position than last season [and] to improve as a player, on a personal level.”
Leanne Cowan
Like Clifford, ex-London City Lioness Leanne Cowan brings up the clashes she played against Palace, noting it was what she saw within the team’s dynamic that sparked the confidence in her decision to transfer.
“The work ethic of the girls is something I'd always had great admiration for and playing against Palace was always a tough game,” she said. “I also saw the unity and togetherness of the group and it was something I wanted to be part of.
“I knew from the off I would be developed as an athlete, player and person, which was important for me, as I needed an environment that would challenge me in a variety of ways to make me better.”
Joining the academy ranks with Millwall at just eight-years-old, she cemented herself within the club’s first-team a decade later. Cowan’s determination to succeed is evident and will no doubt be of immense value to the squad’s future:
“I want to help the team win as many games as possible and play as many games as I can. I had a frustrating last season… so I just want to get out there and enjoy it. I would love to help the club achieve its highest finish in the Championship.”