Ex-Sunderland Ladies defender Charlotte Potts seals Hibernian Women move

The news comes after the 25-year-old announced her departure from Sunderland Ladies on Twitter this week following a ten-year on-off association with the club.

The centre-back re-joined the Black Cats for a fourth time last summer, cementing herself as a vital cog in Mel Reay’s defensive unit alongside Grace McCatty.

A senior figure in Sunderland’s young team, Potts departed Wearside without a new club in mind but was quickly snapped up by the Scottish side.

It is understood the former Calgary Foothills star rejected interest from a top division club in Italy to link up with Hibs manager Dean Gibson.

Speaking to Hibs’ club website, Potts said: “I’m delighted to be joining Hibernian. I felt it was the right move for me when I looked at what the club was all about.

“Hibs have had a lot of success over the years and that really appealed to me. I’ve always believed losers quit when they fail; winners fail until they succeed. Myself and Hibs have a lot in common and I can’t wait to get started.”

The Edinburgh outfit are one of Scotland’s top sides, having won the Women's Premier League Cup four times between 2016 and 2019, beating Celtic 9-0 in the 2018 final.

Gibson’s side also competed in the Champions League this season, battling their way through three rounds of qualifying before being knocked out by Slavia Praha in the last 32.

He said: “I am delighted to finally make Charlotte a Hibernian player.

“We have been speaking and trying to make it happen for a good few weeks now. She is a versatile player who can play in both midfield and defence. She will bring both athleticism and a physical presence to our squad.

“I can’t wait to get back to some form of normality and see Charlotte and the rest of the squad in action. I’m excited by this signing. I really feel this will push us towards hitting our targets for the upcoming season.”

In Potts, Hibs have signed a player who performed admirably as Sunderland remained unbeaten in the National League before the FA’s decision to null and void the campaign due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The decision came despite the governing body opting to settle the top-two tiers on a points-per-game basis, meaning the club were denied the chance to apply for promotion.

The Black Cats led the division by 11 points and a game in hand on second-placed Derby County but now face a third season in the third tier following curtailment.

They had also reached the final of the National League Cup, where they were due to face Stoke City. Potts scored the winning and only goal in the semi-final against Southampton.

As reported by The Echo, the FA’s decision not to allow promotion to the Championship via an application process has had ramifications for Sunderland.

Mollie Lambert has also left Wearside to join Durham Ladies in the league above, whilst Katie Barker and Rachel Woolston have departed for local rivals Newcastle United in the league below.

Georgia Gibson, too, joined Barker and Woolston on Tyneside, with the trio searching for regular game time.

Barker, Gibson and Woolston attend Northumbria University, where Newcastle United manager Becky Langley also looks after their women’s football team.

There also remains significant interest in prolific goalscorer Bridget Galloway, also of Northumbria University, whose representatives are keen to move the 24-goal striker on to a higher level.

To bolster their ranks, The Echo understands that former Middlesbrough duo Olivia Watt and Emily Scarr are set to join the Black Cats alongside an unnamed duo from the Regional Talent Club.