SIDDALL PROUD OF DEFENSIVE EFFORTS IN 2024/25

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Full-back reflects on first full season at Club

2025-05-28T14:37:15.002Z

SIDDALL PROUD OF DEFENSIVE EFFORTS IN 2024/25

Full-back reflects on first full season at Club

2025-05-28T14:37:15.002Z

Full-back reflects on first full season at Club

Following the end of her first full season as a Claret, Emma Siddall retains the belief that leaving Women’s Super League side Manchester City was the next best step for her development.

The defender initially joined Burnley Women from the Cityzens on a dual registration basis in February 2024, featuring in all but two of the team’s remaining matches that season.

Having enjoyed her time in Burnley, Siddall then opted to join the Club permanently ahead of the most recent campaign.

Reflecting on that decision, she said: “I came on loan at the end of that season (2023/24) and we got so close to promotion.

“The players and staff were all great with me and I felt like I was improving more than I was while training with the first team at City, because you get more individual training.

“For me, moving here felt like a good move and one that would help me progress as a player having been at City for four years.”

Having made a good first impression, Siddall was able to establish herself as a regular on the team sheet in 2024/25.

After being given the number three shirt, the 19-year-old featured in 28 of the team’s 31 matches with only one of those appearances coming from the bench.

That total was bettered only by Claudia Walker and Laura Elford, and that consistency is something Siddall looks back on with pride.

“Personally, playing as many games as possible and pushing my body is something that I strive for,” she continued.

“It’s a big achievement and to be able to support the girls in so many games this season is a feeling that I’ve never had before, but one I’ll try and keep doing forever.”

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The teenager was a big part of the Northern Premier Division of the Women’s National League’s second-best defence, with the Clarets conceding 19 times in 22 matches.

Appearances came at both right and left back, with the defender showing her versatility to adapt to whatever the match situation required.

“To be able to play in as many positions as possible is a good thing,” Siddall continued.

“I’ve been known to be quite a flexible player in the past and last season I played a few games at centre-back as well.

“For me, it’s just another strength to my game. As you get older you want to try and get a firm position and stay in the squad, but it’s not affected that.

“We’re quite a strong group of girls who are very well connected on and off the pitch, which I think helps us produce what we do.

“To be able to maintain our consistency and have one of the best defensive records in the league was a real achievement.”

Siddall netted her first Clarets goal in August’s league trip to Stourbridge, which made it two wins from two at the start of the campaign.

Brenna McPartlan restored parity after Rosie Embley gave our opponents the lead that day, with Siddall then scoring directly from a corner kick to put us ahead.

That wasn’t the first time the defender has scored from that kind of dead ball situation, though, and she explained the work that goes into them from a Burnley point of view.

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“I’ve scored from a corner before!” she said.

“Two years ago, when I was playing for AFC Fylde on loan from Manchester City, I managed to score in the same way against Loughborough.

“I started this season taking set pieces and have kind of shifted to receiving them these days.

“We get a lot of practice in training, three or four times a week, with the aim of trying to produce as much as we can on the pitch.”

Both the playing squad and women’s staff group have made it clear that this season’s aim was to gain promotion to what is now known as WSL 2 via promotion.

Ultimately that objective wasn’t achieved and, to finish, Siddall reflected on the campaign as a whole.

“The season's been full of ups and downs and there’s been a lot to take from it, both as a team and individually.

“It’s always a difficult one because we’ve not won the league, and we were one of the favourites to do it.

“That just gives us more of a drive to get that done next season after a much-needed break.

“We’ve had a long season and it’s important for the girls to re-group and re-focus.”