Rugby borough

Brentford Women FC: Rhian Cleverly has been named as the captain of the Brentford women's team for the 2026-27 season. The centre-back joined the Bees from third-tier side Rugby Borough. She will have Maddie Phillips as her deputy, while Lucy Potter and Makeba Black also in leadership support.

Cleverly joined Carly Williams' side in July and is excited to make the most of the opportunity at hand. "It’s just a massive privilege, to be honest. I wasn’t expecting it; obviously I’m pretty new in the building, but from minute one, I knew this club was special," she told Brentford FC. "Most people that know me know that I love communicating; I love speaking, both on and off the pitch. One thing I’m trying to do more is listen as well."

Cleverly looks up to the players who have already been associated with the club and will lean on them for support. "Being new in the building, I know I still have a lot to learn, learning from the people that were already in the building and have been part of this project for a long time and hopefully taking it to the next level as well. I like to set very high standards from my experiences playing at a high level, and I think just being true to myself is really important to me," she said.