Gartec Group CEO, Andrew Harper, from Gartec, the trophy sponsor, and who chose the winner out of the team players of the month, said, "I nominate Sienna Deflorimonte Groom! Sienna's commitment, positive attitude and team ethic, combined with her natural talent for the game, make her my stand out choice amongst some other very strong candidates for the award. Well done Sienna, keep up the good work"

Sienna was put forward for the award by her team coaches for the following reasons:

"Since Sienna joined the Lions in October 2023, she has made a huge impression. As
Sienna's coaches we were immediately impressed by her natural speed, agility and
fearlessness in the tackle, but it has been her commitment and attitude that has really driven the development in her game.

Sienna turns up to nearly every training session, does extra training, and in every session or
match is fully committed, positive and focused. It is these characteristics and approach that
have meant that her reading of the game, tackling, and play on the ball has improved
drastically over the year, making her one of the best defenders in the league. It is also
thanks to the brilliant relationship that Sienna, her fellow defenders and goalkeeper have
formed, that the Lions are one of the best defences in the league - despite playing a year up
in division one.

Sienna is also well-liked by her teammates and when not playing or mid-training, can often
be found giggling or shouting things like “preppy” or “slay” and other words that her coaches don’t really understand."

There were plenty of other excellent performances in matches and training across the Club throughout September and these are recognised by many of the coaches, who put forward these players as their team's player of the month.

Azaria Lawson-Farr (U8 Meerkats)
"Azaria has been robust during matches, listened, and worked hard in training and setting standards on the pitch with her positioning, tough tackling and understanding to get the ball forward early. She’s also performed well in the times called upon as goalkeeper. She has taken significant forward steps from last season and made a great start to this season!"

Ellis Hunter (U9 Atletico)
"Ellis is new to the team and has settled in really well. His work rate both at training and during matches is amazing. He is growing in confidence and is not afraid to get stuck in. Keep it up Ellis."

Izzy Sharp (U10 Bobcats)
"As the girls have taken to competitive games and started to adapt to matches, Izzy has led by example on the pitch and really helped to drive them on as well as volunteering herself to go in goal when helpful for the team."

Ellis Barker (U10 Juve)
"Ellis is our player of the month. After moving to defence, because of a loss of a few players from last season, Ellis has really done well he uses his strength, power and aggression to put in some really crucial strong challenges, he looks a lot more accomplished with the game in front of him and is more than happy to make an interception then play a decent pass and get the team on the front foot, his attitude is always good and has moved to the back with not too much fuss, he is still a danger going forward, this good spell came with a man of the match performance and two goals from centre back at the weekend, keep up the good work Ellis - well done!"

Rudy Ferguson-Moore (U11 Barca)
"Barca have had a great start to the season, winning 3 out of 3 in September with some fantastic performances throughout the team. However, Rudy has really been on fire, scoring 10 goals in 3 games! His direct and positive play combined with clinical finishing has been a joy to watch and his performances have certainly caught the eye of the Barca coaches and supporters, but also opposition coaches too. Keep playing with pace and positivity Rudy and well done on your great start to the league campaign!!"

Mason Alves (U11 Bayern)
"Mason is back to his best, causing havoc down the wing and being a constant headache for defenders. He's been relentless all month, and his hard work paid off with a couple of great goals.".

Amie Gutteridge (U11 Lionesses)
"Amy has come so far in the last month to 6 weeks. From when she first joined
where she had barely kicked a ball to where she is now is unbelievable."

Orla Wheatley (U11 Panthers)
"Orla joined the Panthers this season and has really hit the ground running. She listens and absorbs all information that is being given to her whether at training or in a game and looks to put that into practice immediately. She has also played a number of different positions already this season and always has a smile on her face when she has a football at her feet."

Ella Austin (U12 Jaguars)
"Ella joined the Jaguars half-way through last season having played football with the school. Ella quickly took to league football and has started the season on fire. A strong and speedy defender, Ella’s commitment to learning the game is helping her to become a truly accomplished defender. She trains well, always asking questions when she doesn’t quite understand and takes what she learns into matches. A cracking start to the season Ella- well done!".

Aiden Humphreys (U12 Porto)
"Whether it's bombing down the wing or filling in a left back, Aiden has delivered in the opening games with real consistency. Learning to play more defensively is adding another part to his game, but he's always a danger when he gets in behind the defence. A good example was from our opening game when his energy down the left-hand side caused the opposition problems, and his cross made the opening goal."

Belle Harrison (U13 Lynxes)
"The Lynxes were shocked when they unfortunately lost their coach for a period of time. So it was up to this squad to pull themselves together and step up. Belle has done this in September. Her attitude to get her head down in training and graft has been apparent each week and has impressed her coaches. Then at their recent matches Belle has transferred this hard work to matchday and has banged in a few goals already for the team. An absolute menace up front, highlight of the month was scoring a late equaliser in a topsy turvy local derby match against Leighton United."

Milly Alderson (U13 Pumas)
"Milly is so many levels above where she was last year, and it's great to see. With the Pumas now in many more physical battles than last season we have utilised Milly's strength and sheer determination to win the ball higher up the pitch than where we had her playing last year - when she was in defence. The last 2 matches of September Milly picked up coaches player award. To see her perform the Ronaldo chop mid run with the ball in one match to her getting 2 goals in the next match against a very good Bletchley Scots is just incredible to witness. She is a player that the coaches now depend on that can make a difference in games. Keep it up."

Vincent Saunders (U14 Borussia)
"Vincent has had an excellent start to the season with an excellent goal scoring and assist record. He has shown huge improvements on last season and is developing a leadership position in the squad."

Blake Platten (U14 Lazio)
"We made Blake our captain this year due to his natural leadership skills, which have been on display again during the opening month of the season. Blake's led by example in all of our games in September and has been a real driving force for us in central midfield. Blake's all energy displays have been capped off by both creating and scoring goals. In particular his great deliveries from set pieces have led directly to a few goals and he's got on the scoresheet himself a few times with well timed runs from midfield - most notably grabbing a last minute equaliser in our first game of the season. Well played Blake, same thing for the next 7 months please!"

Jack Jay (U14 Spartak)
"Since joining Spartak at the start of the season, Jack has made an impact with his all-action style and unwavering commitment, bringing a unique energy and enthusiasm to the pitch. Already with some well-taken goals, Jack has proven to be a genuine goal threat for our team and has stepped into different positions when needed, showing the spirit of our team, and we believe he deserves this recognition. Steve, Matt & Nick."

Leon McFarlane (U15 Ajax)
"With goals being an acquired taste in the 2023/24 season, big things were asked of our summer signing striker Leon as Ajax looking at going from mid-table mediocrity to title challengers. Leon has hit the ground running and them some! 4 goals on debut in a 6-1 win at Shenley was followed up by 2 goals in our 3-0 home win against Wing. Not to rest on his laurels, in his next game he scored a hat-trick in our 3-1 win against Woburn. Leon’s goals and all-round work rate at the top of the park are a big reason Ajax are sitting top of the league after the first month of games!".

Well done to all the nominated team player of the months - keep up the great work!