Emily Richards | I'm excited to be back where it all started
Emily Richards is excited to be back with Swansea City Women having secured a return to the club after six years away.
Richards made her senior debut for the Swans in 2017, spending one season with the club before moving on to Briton Ferry Llansawel Women.
The midfielder has since gone on to have stints with Cardiff Met Women and Gwalia United (formerly Cardiff City Ladies).
Richards now rejoins Swansea on a semi-professional deal ahead of the 2024-25 Genero Adran Premier campaign.
The 22-year-old is excited to be back where her career began, and feels the professionalism of the environment has changed massively since her departure.
“I’m really excited to be back where my senior career started,” said Richards.
“Swansea City holds a massive place for me, I’m from this area and it’s been my home club since I was a little girl growing up.
"I would watch the men's team play, and I got to watch some of the women play as I got older.
“I was involved in it from a young age, so it’s nice to be back where it all started.
“It’s so much more professional now, it’s nice being in that professional environment, it’s very competitive, and it’s just such a lovely place to be in and a club to be involved with.
“The team have been really welcoming, the most welcoming team I’ve been in for a long time. The girls have been lovely, obviously I knew some of them from beforehand, and the new girls have also welcomed me with open arms.
“We’ve got a good squad and I’m looking forward to adding a little bit to it and trying to win as many things as we can.
“Discussions with (first-team manager) Jamie [Sherwood] have been really positive, I’m really looking forward to him being the coach this season and I’m really excited to be here.”
Richards suffered a significant knee injury in 2022, spending 484 days on the sideline before making her return to the field in January this year.
The midfielder is excited to start enjoying playing football once again, and believes the hardship she faced has made her more determined than ever to make the most of the season ahead.
“It was nearly two years without football for me, so I’m just so excited to get going,” said Richards.
“I just want to be able to find my feet again and start enjoying my football again.
“It was really difficult, very hard mentally and physically, but I think it’s prepared me for whatever I face this season.
“Hopefully I can continue to progress and build and develop as a player.”