Maria Francis-Jones joins Blackburn on duel-registration agreement
Hensol, Wales. 8th June 2021. Wales during training at the Vale Resort. Credit: Lewis Mitchell/YCPD/
Maria Francis-Jones has sealed a duel-registration move to Blackburn Rovers of the FA Women’s Championship.
The defender joins from Manchester City who’s academy she joined in the summer after two seasons with Cardiff City Ladies.
The eighteen-year-old is yet to make her senior City debut and is eager to use her opportunity at the Rovers as a learning experience.
“I’m really happy to be signing for Blackburn Rovers,” she told the club’s website.
“It’s a different challenge for me, from being at City Academy to now being in a senior set-up – it’s a different environment.
“My aim is to push on with senior-level football and to really build myself at this level so hopefully I can do this here.
“I’m looking forward to keep learning over the coming months.”
Francis-Jones’s only senior Wales cap to date was back in March 2020 in a friendly against at the Racecourse Ground Estonia.
More recently she captained the under-19 side that gained promotion to League A for the Second Round of the 2022 UEFA Women’s Under-19 Championship qualifying.
The City prospect becomes the third young Welsh player to join the club on a duel-registration agreement basis after Chloe Williams and Safia Middleton-Patel.
