Manchester Thunder have announced the return of Roses Future Amy Carter as well as Vitality Roses Laura Malcolm and Eleanor Cardwell for the 2021 Vitality Netball Superleague season.
Carter has signed on for another season, while Malcolm and Cardwell enter the second year of their contracts in black and yellow.
Currently in New Zealand playing a three-match test series against the Silver Ferns, they are the first to take part in international netball since the pandemic hit.
Having come through the pathway, Carter was elevated to the senior squad in 2018, and she burst onto the scene with a number of impressive performances, including helping Thunder to lift the Vitality Netball Superleague title in 2019.
Combining training with her medical studies at the University of Manchester, Carter balances a busy life and takes it all in her stride. She made her Vitality Roses debut during the Vitality Netball Nations Cup in January.
Discussing her return to Thunder, Carter said: “I’m delighted to re-sign for my home team. We were so disappointed not to be able to see out the 2020 campaign which we had such high hopes for. So it is great to retain a good element of the squad to take it forward to the 2021 season.
“Our squad is full of quality in every department and ensures our training environment is highly competitive. We bring out the best in each other and can’t wait to get started on our new campaign once our Vitality Roses commitments come to an end.”
Manchester Thunder Head Coach and Director of Netball Karen Greig commented: “It’s frightening that Amy is now considered one of our senior players at just 22. The maturity she shows on court impresses me and enables different combinations on the court, whether she’s wing defence or centre she connects so well from defence right through the court.
“I’m looking forward to what she can produce this season as I do think she still has so much more to give.”
On Malcolm and Cardwell entering the second year of their contracts, Greig added: “It’s fantastic to have Eleanor back with us this season – a real key piece to our puzzle, after the role she played in the 2019 final she really stepped up and showed what she was capable of and carried that through to the start of last season. The combination with Joyce Mvula really started to gel and cause problems for defensive units.
“Over the last two years Laura has really shown she means business, her development as a player both on and off the court has really impressed me. It’s crucial to have an athlete that can be versatile and cover all three centre positions and do it so well.
“She has gained a lot of respect and this resulted in her being named as the Vitality Roses’ co-captain alongside Serena Guthrie [for the series in New Zealand].”
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