It’s fair to say it’s been quite a whirlwind start to Newcastle United and Wales midfielder Lois Joel’s career.
A stint out in America with the world-renowned North Carolina Tar Heels, followed by a WSL debut against Manchester United, a move to the Championship with London City Lionesses, where she became captain, and then this summer, she transferred over to Newcastle United.
It’s still worth remembering that Joel is only 25, and there’s still so much left in her career, but her move to the Toon surprised many, especially as Lionesses are embarking on their own unique journey with owner Michele Kang.
Yet, when discussing the reasons on why she left, Joel said it felt like the right time for both parties.
“Me moving away from London City Lionesses felt like the right move for both parties. I could look at other options, and that’s what I did, and Lionesses do have a very exciting project as well, and I’m sure some people were shocked when I moved to Newcastle.
“Michele Kang is investing loads into London City, but I think I spent my time there, and a change was the right thing for me.”
She may have only been in the north-east for a few months, but Joel is already embracing the Geordie lifestyle, and she wants the team to continue to set new standards.
“Newcastle is a very exciting project, they’ve got the backing, and so far, I’m loving it. I’ve never been that far north before but I’m enjoying every minute!
“It’s a massive club, the fans are great, and it’s always great to play in front of fans that are so passionate and that support the women’s team so much.
“We’ve got two big games at St. James’ Park coming up, and hopefully we can get record numbers for the Championship in those games.”
Overall, it’s been a good start to the season for Newcastle, who are playing in the Championship for the first time. However, Sunday saw them draw 3-3 with Charlton Athletic, after being 3-1 up in the 93rd minute.
Joel’s Welsh teammate Kayleigh Green scored one of the two late goals, and while she’s been trying to not catch the eye of the veteran forward, says everything is good between them now.
“I’ve avoided Kayleigh for a few days, but we have now had a chat! I thought she was going to be buzzing with the result, but she wasn’t too happy, but what can you do, that’s football.
“We should have got the three points, but they came back and credit to Charlton, they never gave up. The result did hurt, but we are all friends now.”
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Every day is a learning day
Despite still being a young player, Joel has had to learn on the job quickly.
She was appointed captain of London City at the start of last season, in a move that surprised Joel herself. When you consider the team had established internationals like Ruesha Littlejohn, and someone like Danielle Carter, who has over 100 appearances for Arsenal, the youngster was thrown into the deep end a little bit.
With all that being said, Joel praised the older players around her for guiding her to the footballer that she’s become today.
“It was a weird one for me, but also a bit of a daunting experience at the start. I never expected to be appointed captain of the club.
“It was tough at the start, and I felt like I had to try and lead players who had far more experience than I had. However, part of leadership is using everyone, and while I probably wasn’t the most vocal leader at times, I could lead in other ways through training well and playing well.
“I leaned on the likes of Ruesha, Danielle, and all these big players when I needed that guidance. It was a tough season for us, but their voices were so important, and I listened to them a lot, and they probably captained me at times, and I needed that.”
When Joel eventually got the call-up to her first Wales squad in February this year, she wanted to learn again, and with good reason.
Despite being a defender in her early years, Joel transitioned into a midfielder, and while she’s still learning the ropes of the position, at country, she can learn off Jess Fishlock, Angharad James, and Sophie Ingle.
“It’s been so useful for me spending time with such prolific players at Wales. At London City last year, it was the first real time that I had ever been put into midfield.
“When I came to Wales for the first time in February, I came in as a midfielder, having maybe been looked at as a different positional player before.
“What better way to learn about the position than by having veterans like Jess, Angharad, Sophie who have had that success and are having successful careers. I just watch them in training and try to learn by looking at their game.”
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One game at a time
Joel and the rest of the Wales squad are currently preparing to face Slovakia in the first leg of their European Championship semi-final playoff.
Wales are ranked 28th in the FIFA Rankings, while their Slovakian counterparts are placed in 51st. On paper, Wales go into it as the favourites.
But Joel and the team are looking to take things one game at a time and say they will not look beyond Slovakia.
“We obviously have our goals in this squad, but we’re going to focus on one game at a time. Our complete focus is on Slovakia, that’s what this camp is about, and we will be looking to get the right results in this part of the playoffs before looking ahead to anything else.”
And Joel could play a part in tomorrow night’s fixture, especially as a midfield spot has become available.
Sophie Ingle sustained an ACL injury for Chelsea in September, meaning a midfield spot has become vacant. While Joel may well be a benefactor of her injury, she is very much hoping the former captain returns to full fitness soon.
“All the girls are absolutely gutted about what happened to Sophie, and we want to do as well as we can for her now.
“The good thing about our team is that we have depth and other players that can come in and do a job. It’ll be exciting for those players who get that chance to show what they’re about, and that’s all we can do.”
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