After just over two months away from the pitch, West Ham United women’s team are preparing to return for pre-season ahead of the upcoming 2024/25 Barclays Women’s Super League campaign.
Part of the side’s pre-season plans will see them head to Perth in late August to take part in the inaugural Perth International Football Cup, where they will face off against Paris Saint-Germain and one of Manchester City or Leicester City in their two fixtures in the competition. It is the first time that the women’s team are heading abroad as part of their pre-season plans since joining the WSL in 2018.
Anouk Denton is raring to go as she prepares for her second full season in Claret and Blue. The defender is into her second spell at the Club, having originally joined on loan from Arsenal in 2021, and then after a stint out in the USA, rejoined the Hammers permanently in January 2023.
The 21-year-old has been able to enjoy some time off to rest and recuperate ahead of the new season, after making 19 appearances in all competitions for Rehanne Skinner’s side in 2023/24.
Alongside her travels and training, Denton has also starred in both the home and away kit releases during the summer. She appeared alongside teammate Emma Harries at E.Pellicci for the launch of the home shirt, and headed out onto Brick Lane to model the away jersey.
Denton spoke to whufc.com at the women’s team’s Chadwell Heath training ground, where she was working with members of the strength and conditioning team to get in the best possible shape for when the team return to the pitches on Tuesday.
She gave an insight into how she’s spent her summer, her initial aims for the upcoming season, her excitement about heading Down Under and her thoughts on being involved in both kit shoots…
I’m really excited to be coming back to Chadwell [Heath] and seeing everyone.
I love the summer and having a little bit of time to relax and recharge, but after a while, you’re just itching to get back to the training ground to see all of your teammates again.
Training on your own can be a little bit tough at times, but I can’t complain because I’ve had a good summer. I’ve been away to Norway, Amsterdam and Switzerland, so I’ve done quite a lot!
It helps to keep me motivated when I’m training alongside other people.
I was going out running and doing bits and pieces on my own at the very beginning of the off-season while I was away, then I’ve started to come into the training ground and work with the strength and conditioning coaches and the medical team over the past two weeks.
Some of the other players have been in as well, which is always nice. When you’re training on your own, it makes you miss a good old ‘rondo’ and the little things we do to have fun and improve in training, so I’m excited to be back with the team and out on the pitch from Tuesday.
From a Club standpoint, I want to start and play in as many games as I can and help the team.
I’d like to get a couple of assists and hopefully a goal too. I’m still developing as a player, and I know that I’ll need to push on to make sure that I’m getting as many starts as I can and establish myself in the team.
I also want to keep my place in the England U23s team, too! It’s an honour to represent my country and I think it’s really crucial for me and my development to keep going on those camps and having those experiences.
It’s going to be a really exciting pre-season.
I know that all of the girls are looking forward to the Perth International Football Cup - we’re going to come up against some really good teams and I think the trip as a whole will be a really positive experience for the whole squad.
It’ll be the first time that I will be going to Australia, so on a personal note I’m also looking forward to experiencing that. I think that will be the same for most of the players in the team!
I’ve had experience of going away on camps with England in Europe, but this trip will be longer and is obviously a lot further away. It will be a different experience and I’m really pleased that we have the opportunity to go.
I think the new kits are great!
It’s the first time I’ve been involved in kit shoots and I found it really good. The Cockney Kit is my favourite, and I really enjoyed heading out to the vintage store where we shot some photography for the shirt.
The home kit shoot was great too, being able to go to E.Pellicci, an old school café in east London and get dressed up in the 1960s style was really fun - although I didn’t really recognise myself when the images came out!
