From playing in an all-boys team to competing in tier three of the women’s football pyramid, West Brom Women’s player Isabel Green is leading the club's resurgence as we approach the business end of the season.
Green began her football journey at the age of seven and after struggling to find a girls' team she found herself playing for her local side Bartley Reds, which was an all-boys team. Since then, football has evolved with women and young girls now at the forefront of the beautiful game.
Following a series of trials, Green took a step up the footballing ladder and found herself playing for West Bromwich Albion under 11s. From this moment on she never looked back and has been at the club ever since.
Continuing to work her way up through the various development teams at the club, Green was presented with a life-changing opportunity.
Green said: “In 2020 West Brom trialled a new under 18s team, which was new thing that they wanted to try and implement. I was one of the few players selected to join this trial team and at time I was fluctuating between the trial team and the main development side.
Isabel Green involved in first team training
(Credit: Isabel Green)
“As I was training with two groups of players, I was being assessed by more coaches and this essentially created a pathway to the first team. I then found myself in a position where I was training with the first team and this then became a regular thing.“
The 19-year-old moved up to the Albion Women senior team in August 2021, after impressing Head Coach Jenny Sugarman.
Later in the year, the defender made her debut for the first team in the Black Country derby against Wolverhampton Wanderers. A magnificent achievement.
Green’s achievements don’t end there, as this season she also reached a significant milestone. Not only did she cement her place in the first team, but she also made her 50th appearance for the club.
While Green has enjoyed her landmark season, she has been quick to credit the coaches at the club for her development this season.
“Making 50 appearances for the first team is a great moment for me and my family and if I’m being completely honest I wasn’t actually aware of this milestone at the time. I think it's because I couldn’t believe how fast the time had gone, but I’m really proud and it makes me want to push on even more.
“Leaving the development team to move to the senior team was quite a nerve wrecking time for me. Luckily all the girls for the senior team were lovely and the coaches were really welcoming.
“The coaches gave me a lot of support and I had constant meetings with them just so they could see how I was getting on and if I was struggling or anything like that. The coaches really helped me settle in quickly and I think they were the ones who helped me get to the position I’m in now.”
West Brom Women have been watching on in awe of their rivals Wolves for the past few seasons. The Albion have under-performed and this season they look set for more mid-table mediocracy , although the prospect of relegation remains.
The club have had some success in cup competitions, reaching the Birmingham County Cup semi-final for the second consecutive year. However, like the season before they found themselves second-best to bitter rivals Wolves.
Despite a season of personal success, Green believes her side have under-achieved and need to stay focused to avoid relegation.
“We are currently 10th in the league and that isn’t the position that we wanted to be in at the start of the season, but obviously our aim now is to stay up and avoid being relegated. I think it’s a realistic aim to stay up, but we need to work hard for the rest of the season.
“We don’t like losing to Wolves or being below them in the league and I haven’t actually had the experience of coming out with a win against them yet. We know what their level is and next season that’s what we need to be aiming for.
“But focusing back onto this season, we are confident that we can avoid the drop because of the quality we have. The last few weeks of this season will massive.”
While we wait to see which division the Albion will be competing in next season, one thing is for certain. Isabel Green has a bright future and deserves credit for her accomplishments at such a young age.
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