Chloe Jones may have missed out on a Women’s Super League title with Liverpool Ladies last season but she’s vowed to make amends with Aston Villa in 2014.
Jones, who spent three years with Leicester City between 2008 and 2011, decided to leave Merseyside in February 2013 to be closer to her family in the Midlands.The Reds went on to claim the WSL crown but Jones insists there were no regrets at ending her two-year stint, especially with an exciting Villa side taking shape under head coach Joe Hunt.
And the left-footed creative midfielder sees plenty of reason to cheer ahead of their crack at the WSL 2 crown this term.
Jones left Liverpool to join Aston Villa in February 2013
"We can definitely be contenders to win the division,” said Jones. “With the young team that we have, a lot of them are homegrown players that have played in the development squads.
“The club allows young players like that to get a chance and see all their hard work pay off which they have been working towards for years.
“We have a great combination of youth and experienced players. We have definitely got the ability and the skills that we need to make a really good team and contend for the top spot.
“I possibly moved from Liverpool at the wrong time because I missed out on being involved in their league title winning side but I had to make the move because of the personal situation at the time.
“It was for personal reasons. I changed my job to become a teacher in Birmingham and the travelling to Liverpool was just too much to keep going there every day.
“Also I know Aston Villa have always been a really good team in the Midlands and they are on the rise.
“It is a team that is developing and getting stronger and stronger and the whole club appealed to me. I knew they were going places.”
“The club allows young players like that to get a chance and see all their hard work pay off”
Chloe Jones
Despite the raft of homegrown talent at Villa’s disposal, Emily Owen and Natasha Baptiste have signed from West Brom while Lauren Walker and Hannah Williams joined from Wolves – all four arriving back in August.
But it is the recent arrival of midfielder Alicia Robinson that has got Jones really excited.
“She is the main signing for us this season,” added Jones. “She will make a real difference to the team.
“She’s a very creative player and I would like to think we will work well together.
“I hope the pair of us in midfield can help Aston Villa become more of a creative team and the team can build around players like her.
“Emma Follis and Sarah Mayling will be key players in attack and then defensively I think we will be rock solid with Jade Richards, Erin Vaughan, Danielle Petrovic and Lauren Walker.”
