Nantwich Town FC Women are delighted to announce the arrivals of Mollie Newton, Phoebe Carter and Amber Lightfoot, with the trio joining the squad over the past month.
The three signings bring a mixture of experience, quality and potential to the squad, with Newton adding defensive strength, Carter strengthening our GK Union and Lightfoot bringing an exciting attacking option out wide.
Mollie Newton
Left-back Mollie Newton joins Nantwich following previous spells with Tier 4 side Stockport County and Tier 5 West Midlands League team Port Vale.
Since her debut against Mancunian Unity in September, Mollie has shown her excellence in defence. The left-back has earned Player of the Match twice, including on her debut as well as Player of the Month for September.
Manager Dan Mellor had been keen to bring Newton to the club for some time and is delighted that she has now committed to the Nantwich project.
“I’ve been chasing Mollie for a number of years now because I’ve always known and appreciated the quality she has and what she could bring to our squad, so I’m delighted that she’s decided that now is the right time to join our project.
“Even in the few games she’s played so far, she’s already shown the experience she has from playing at the tier above and, importantly, an understanding of what it takes to win football matches. We’re really looking forward to working with her, helping her settle into the group and developing her game even further.”
Mollie’s experience and understanding of the game will provide another valuable option as Nantwich look to build on their progress.
Phoebe Carter
Between the posts, Phoebe Carter arrives at Nantwich after spending the past five years with Shrewsbury Town.
The keeper was part of Shrewsbury’s 2021/22 league win, promoting them to Tier 5 in the West Midlands Regional League, where they have remained strong since. Phoebe also has a League Cup to her name, from the 2022/23 season, where her heroics in net during the Final secured the silverware during a penalty shootout.
Carter has already made a positive impression since joining the club, with Dan Mellor highlighting both her ability as a goalkeeper and her attitude away from the pitch.
“Phoebe came to us looking to fall back in love with football, and after just a few sessions with us she’s already said how much she’s enjoyed being part of the group and how much she’s benefiting from the coaching available to our goalkeepers.
“Lizzie and James will now work closely with Phoebe to get her into the best possible place to challenge for her position and I’m sure she’ll do exactly that. She’s a fantastic goalkeeper, but equally importantly, she’s got a really good head on her shoulders and I’m excited to see how she develops with us.”
Amber Lightfoot
Adding further attacking threat is winger Amber Lightfoot, who began her footballing journey in the Liverpool youth system before joining Wrexham’s U19 set-up in the summer of 2021.
Lightfoot subsequently progressed into open-age football for Wrexham before most recently featuring for The New Saints. After taking some time away from football, she is now ready to return to the game in a Nantwich shirt.
Dan Mellor believes Amber’s arrival demonstrates the club’s ambition for the season ahead and beyond.
“Signing Amber is, for me, a huge signal of our intent to push on this season and beyond. Her numbers for Wrexham while playing out wide were of an incredibly high standard, so to be able to bring that level of quality into our squad is something we’re really excited about.
“Despite being out of the game for a little while, we saw in her very first session with us the quality she can bring to the team. She’s got real ability and we’re really looking forward to getting her back on the pitch and seeing what she can do in a Nantwich shirt.”
