It is all change for Sunderland this season but striker Beth Mead insists The FA WSL’s first-ever promoted club will be no pushovers against the country’s best.
For much of last year, the Black Cats were involved in a nip-and-tuck FA WSL 2 promotion race with Doncaster Rovers Belles.
A few nerves jangled along the way, particularly after a loss to the Belles with just two games remaining, but they stayed the course to snatch top spot by two points.
Mead's England factfile
DOB: 09/05/1995
U20s: 3 caps, 1 goal
U19s: 15 caps, 5 goals
U17s: 3 caps, 2 goals
U15s: 2 caps, 2 goals
Since being crowned as champions Sunderland have had to get used to life without Mick Mulhern, who can be described as nothing less than a club hero after collecting seven league titles during his managerial tenure.
Academy coach Carlton Fairweather has been tasked with taking the Lady Black Cats into a new dawn – and Mead, who hit 15 goals in 20 matches last year, is adamant her side can hit the ground running.
Mead said: “It will be strange without Mick. He was around since I’ve been at the club and has been a big influence on me.
“He’ll be a loss to us but we’ll be under new management in a new League and it’s going to be an exciting challenge. We all have to start again and impress the new manager.
“We’d like to think we can put ourselves out there and we have the belief to compete with teams in a higher league.
“Maybe we’ll have to prove people wrong because it’s so strong in the first division, but I’m sure we can play just as good football and we’ll be definitely looking to attack.
“Last year proved how small the gap is between all the teams and it was such an exciting finish – every game mattered and that’s what we’re relishing.”
Mead may well be one to watch when the season kicks off after a prolific domestic campaign and a stunning goal for England at last summer's U20s World Cup.
But she knows how much hard work is ahead of her this year.
She added: “England’s going really well and I just want to keep continuing to impress so I can hopefully work for a call-up to the seniors. I learned a lot in Canada and I need to take that forward now.
“We [Sunderland] started pre-season in December so we have been brushing off the cobwebs and getting ready for a long season ahead.
“We’re never going to know how good we truly are until we get out there, but on a personal level being able to score consistently against the top defences is a big aim.”
