PERFORMANCE INSIGHT
Jayde’s time at the club has not been without trials. When she arrived at United in January 2023, the Canadian was rehabbing an injury, and her debut was delayed until the end of the season. While she impressed in the 2023/24 campaign, there were again frustrating injury setbacks that saw her miss out on parts of 2024.
Now, though, she’s enjoying an extended spell free of injuries and highlights how her confidence has grown this season. Speaking to Mariam Kourabi from SHE Scores Bangers in February, Jayde was asked what aspects of her game have improved most since becoming a regular starter:
“I think confidence, honestly, is one of the things. I always knew that I had potential, I think it was just about when I was able to consistently be available [because I always dealt with injuries] and be able to show people what I could do.
“Once I started to get a lot of games under my belt, I think I naturally just gained confidence through that, obviously through my team-mates as well. Since then I’ve been able to put everything aside and just be able to play freely, and, for me, I know I play the best when I do play freely.”
She’s certainly been playing her best and has been crucial in the team’s stellar defensive record. The Reds have conceded fewer goals than anyone in the division, including keeping 12 clean sheets in 18 games – 14 of which the Canadian has started.
However, it’s going forward that her prowess has been most evident this season and particularly in partnership with summer signing Bizet. In United’s win over Brighton at Leigh Sports Village in January, the positional understanding between the pair was particularly clear as they frequently switched places, covered one another’s roles, and provided a consistent and cohesive press that the Seagulls had no answer to.
