Beard buoyed by captain's new contract
Liverpool Ladies manager Matt Beard has hailed the leadership qualities of Gemma Bonner after the captain committed her future to the club with a new contract today.
The 23-year-old defender has put pen to paper on an extension following consecutive Women's Super League trophy wins in the past two seasons.
She is the latest of a number of players to have officially prolonged their stay with the Ladies, who will once more enter the Women's Champions League next season.
A naturally buoyant Beard is delighted to have secured the services of Bonner, who he believes is improving and progressing with each campaign.
He told Liverpoolfc.com: "She's a great player and she's a good leader. She's a different leader - she doesn't go around screaming and shouting, she leads by example on the pitch with her performances.
"I've seen one or two things in training that makes it easy for me to make the choice of making her the captain. She's a big part of the backline and I'm delighted that she's decided to stay.
"She's great in the air, strong in the tackle. Her game has come on a lot, especially last season, with the benefits of being full-time and having more contact time with the players.
"She's got stronger and quicker. She's a fantastic leader and, above all, she's a great person as well."