Jordan Nobbs has joined Newcastle Women, and in an exclusive interview with Sky Sports, says she wants the challenge of trying to get the club promoted to the WSL.
The midfielder, 32, joins the club after her departure from Aston Villa Women, where she spent two and a half years. She had previously spent 13 years with Arsenal Women, and holds the record for the most WSL appearances.
It is that experience and nous that she will be hoping to bring to the Magpies, who are readying themselves for a second season in the WSL2. They finished fifth in the league last year.
Speaking about her move, Nobbs told Sky Sports: “I was open to options after Aston Villa and Newcastle was one that I wanted to speak to, to see their ambitions.
“Pushing them for promotion was a challenge that I wanted to be part of with this team.
“It’s not easy to get up the leagues. No matter where you start, it’s tough. The women’s game’s growing and it’s harder than it looks, so for Newcastle to finish where they did last season, it shows that they’re growing.
Jordan Nobbs spent two and a half years at Aston Villa
“And after speaking to the club, finding out what their ambitions are, I wanted to follow that journey with them and help, hopefully, with my experience and push the team to get promoted.”
It is a return home for Nobbs. She grew up in the North East, close to both Newcastle and Sunderland, where she came through the academy – now crossing the Tyne-Wear divide, 14 years after leaving.
“I’ll always be grateful for being that seven-year-old child that joined Sunderland and progressed me as a player,” she said.
“But I’m competitive, I’m a winner and I’m now with Newcastle. It’s been a long time since I was at Sunderland and Newcastle is now my club that I want to push and play well for, so I’ll be fully back in our team.
“I feel like this is the perfect situation where I’ve gone from growing up in the North East to living my dream at Arsenal to then coming back to be a club that wants to push for promotion.
“People follow your football journey but they don’t know everything. I moved away when I was 17 and you do miss out on so many things, so it’s a dream to have all my family and friends supporting me here at Newcastle.”
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Former Lioness Jordan Nobbs speaks to Sky Sport News about England’s chances at Euro 2025, how their winning mentality will get them through squad absences and gives an insight into Sarina Wiegman’s management style
Newcastle became integrated into the club in August 2022, turning professional a year later. They were the first club in the third tier of women’s football to be fully professional, earning promotion to the then-named Women’s Championship in 2024.
The WSL2 is increasingly competitive too. In recent years, there have been title races won on the tightest of margins, with the London City Lionesses promoted by two points last season.
While Nobbs has previously played in the lower leagues of English women’s football in various guises while at Sunderland, but this will be her first taste of the WSL2 in its current form.
The midfielder also had 12 successful years at Arsenal
Discussing the league, Nobbs added: “I’ve watched a lot of games because I’ve got friends in football, especially in the North East with Durham, Sunderland and Newcastle, so I’ve always seen how competitive it is.
“It’s a league that’s growing. We’ve always said that from grassroots upwards, we want women’s football to be professional and pushing to be the best for every little girl that’s watching us as role models, so it’s exciting.
“It’s exciting times for the league and exciting times for Newcastle.”
