Rayner: I can learn so much from new teammates

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Brighton and Hove Albion's Bex Rayner looking forward to her new challenge.

2024-07-23T07:00+01:00

Bex Rayner made more than 100 appearances for Sheffield United before heading to Albion.

Bex Rayner made her WSL debut aged just 16 but is looking forward to tapping into the vast experience of her new teammates after joining Albion.

The 24-year-old midfielder played at the top level for Doncaster Belles but is best known for her two spells in the Championship with Sheffield United, for whom she made more than 100 appearances.

She will be one of the more experienced players in Dario Visolic’s squad this season but knows there are plenty of role models to help her get even better.

“I just want to learn and improve in this new environment,” she said. “There’s players from a lot of different countries and cultures and no matter what team you are in you should always try to learn.

“Vicky Losada and Pauline Bremer have won Champions League titles; Fran Kirby has won the WSL seven times and we’ve got loads of internationals like Guro Bergsvand and Maria Thorisdottir who know their stuff, so there are lots of players I can learn from on and off the pitch.

Bex Rayner says the experienced members of Albion's squad can guide her and make her a better player.

“Obviously they have had more experience than me. Hopefully they will help me, take me under their wing a bit and help me improve.”

There will be some familiar faces in the dressing room though, when Rayner links up with the squad at the beginning of August to start preparing for the new season.

“I have played with Poppy Pattinson and Katie Startup in the England pathways,” she revealed. “Poppy and I played against each other growing up when we were eight or nine years old and she’s from the north too which is good!

“Obviously Brighton is a long way from Sheffield but I'm probably ready to move and live a different lifestyle and being in such a professional environment will help me push myself on to be the player I can be. I think Brighton is a unique club, and somewhere that's a really nice place to live. I'm really looking forward to being here.”