Doncaster Rovers Belles 'hold a dear place in my heart' - Leandra Little

So says the former Belles captain – who has picked out the club’s FAWSL2 title success in 2018 as her best footballing memory.

Little hopes to help her current club Sheffield United win promotion to the top flight when football returns.

The 35-year-old centre back joined the Blades last summer after a season at Liverpool in the Women’s Super League.

But she will not be forgetting her time at Doncaster in a hurry.

“Winning the WSL2 under Neil Redfearn at the Belles has to be my fondest memory,” she told theFA.com.

“We were always the bridesmaids and never the brides. We came runners-up to Sunderland and Reading and when we were promoted to the WSL in 2015, it was as runners-up as opposed to winners too.

“That was really nice for me because I felt like I had finally got my reward for the hard work and effort that had gone in over the six years.

"People have been putting on Twitter lately their favourite football image, and my one was a picture of the Belles team from the summer of 2014 - that’s another one of my best memories.

"It had the likes of Millie Bright, Beth England, Courtney Sweetman-Kirk and Victoria Williams - all players who have gone on to play for WSL teams.

“That particular year at the Belles was one of my favourite years. That was a team where I felt like everyone would have ran through a brick wall for each other, and that’s what you want from a teammate. You want to know that whatever happens, on or off the pitch, they’re there to support you. We didn’t win anything, but we had such a good team ethos

“Teams like Belles and Sunderland are pioneers of the women’s game, Belles especially given their history. It’s always good to reflect on where the growth of women’s football has come from. They hold a dear place in my heart.”

Little played for Lincoln Ladies in the first WSL season in 2011. She previously played basketball for Sheffield Hatters and represented Great Britain at the Youth Olympics.