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Sydney Charles
Man City #9 • F
Ht/Wt. 5'6, 140lbs
Birthday 1/25/1999 (24)
Nationality England
2021-22 WSL STATS
Starts(Sub) G A
18(4) 18 4
2022-23 WSL STATS
Starts(Sub) G A
0(8) 4 0
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Since I could remember I've been a man city fan, it was a dream come true when I got the call up to the first team when I was 17. I loved the club, I loved my teammates, I loved my coaches. I always felt like the club wanted to see me succeed and always pushed me to be better. The 21-22 was my best season yet and I was excited for the next, knowing that I would blow my last season out of the water.
2 week before the 22-23 season I got a notification on my phone saying that my coach has resigned. This wasn't a shock to me as he let the girls know prior to it getting out to the media. His resignation was a major factor in some of the girls transferring most notably Keira, Lucy and Georgia. I was sad to see them go but I understood, I only had a year left on my contract and the thought never even crossed my mind, in my heart I wasnt going to resign, in my heart I could never leave this club.
I found out who my new coach was, some guy coach from Lyon. Honestly I could care less who the new coach is, this is my year I have one thing on my mind BALLON D'OR. It's something I've dreamt about sense I was little, it's always something that I've strived for it, this is the season that I'm getting it.
First training with the new coach was odd to say the least. A few players came with him from Lyon, which I didn't have a problem with in the beginning but when training started those players got called up to be on the first training team, I thought ok Im going to have to prove myself to him to get on the first team. I thought I was proving myself enough in training to get into the first team, but I never got put with that team always the same girls which was something that I wasn't used to, with the old coach we switched teams everyday so everyone knew how to play with each other and what we did and didn't do, which was one of the reasons we played so well together.
The first game
I was so excited for this season to start, I've been counting the days sense the last season ended. I walked into the training ground, first game against Everton, we have the better chance to win but you never know what team is having a better day but I'll tell you this I am having a good day, I was pumped for this game. I walked into the locker room and saw on the board that I wasn't starting but a player from Lyon starting over me........ odd, I started almost all the games last year, I'm not gonna let this bug me though, he just wants me as a super sub I told myself. As the game starts we instantly have possession of the ball, it feels so weird being back on the bench, I haven't felt like this sense I was 17 when I first got called up. I was sitting there watching the clock waiting for someone to call my name to start warming up but nothing. 0-0 going into half-time, still no word about when I'm going in, I walk back out and take my seat. Watching the clock click up closer and closer to the 90th minute I realize that I'm not playing.
The rest of the season was pretty much this, or if I did get in it was almost always in added time. When I did get in I was constantly belittled in film, if I was even a half of a second late to a ball I would get ripped a new one, for my average of 4 minutes a game, when one of the Lyon girls made a mistake they wouldn't even get told what they did was wrong. It wasn't fair, none of it was fair they way they acted like they owned the place and that I was a dumb girl that couldn't be trusted on the pitch. It destroyed me mentally, I couldn't take all the negativity towards me, I never got a positive compliment from my new coach NEVER. I wanted to leave, I didn't want to play football anymore I'm done.
I never thought my heart would change about this club or even football, but this coach had completely messed up my head. I needed to leave
At the end of the season I just packed up my locker and left, didn't say bye to anyone just left. Not like their gonna notice I'm gone anyway
I already told my manager in the middle of the season that I wasn't planning on resigning with man city. By the end of the season she had already found my multiple teams that wanted me but one stuck out
Barcelona
I would be lying if I didn't say I was a secret Barca fan, and I would also be lying if I said that I wasn't a little bit jealous when Lucy and Keira signed there last season.
When she said Barcelona I could feel my excitement come back for football, I knew this would be the right choice
