Attacker Leila Wandeler has insisted West Ham United women’s team are yet to show our full potential this term, and are relishing the opportunity to face Charlton Athletic in the Subway® Women's League Cup on Wednesday evening.
The Hammers will start their cup campaign at The Valley, having got to the semi-finals of the competition last term after securing victories against Portsmouth, London City Lionesses, Southampton and Tottenham Hotspur.
This season, placed in Group C, Rehanne Skinner’s side will again face Pompey and the Saints, as well as the Addicks and fellow Barclays Women’s Super League outfit Brighton & Hove Albion.
The short trip to south-east London presents an opportunity to bounce back for the Irons, who have endured a tough start to the fresh campaign, and Wandeler is looking forward to the cup test.
“We haven’t shown our full capacity in the last games, so I think, even though it’s a cup game, it’s a really important one for us and our confidence,” she said. “I’m really excited, the girls are all excited and we’re going to face the game as it’s a very important one for our team.
“She’s (Rehanne Skinner) showed us that in this league, you’re not allowed to just [go] halfway with effort, we have to be better than other teams. The mentality stuff is more important than tactics. The message is we have to fight more, work harder and want it more than other teams.”
Since Wandeler’s arrival from OL Lyonnes on 23 August, she made her Club and WSL debuts in our meeting with Arsenal at Chigwell Construction Stadium earlier in September.
Although she entered the fray in the second half with her side behind in east London, it was still a proud moment for the No27 nonetheless.
“I was really happy to make my debut,” she continued. “Of course, I came in while we were already losing and I just tried to bring everything that I could because we didn’t have anything to lose in the game.
“It was a hard game, we fought, but I was very proud to play in it. It was also the only game that I’ve had family there for. My Dad and a friend of mine were there, so it was really cool.”
With it being just over a month since she signed, Switzerland international Wandeler feels right at home in the squad, thanks to the warm welcome from the players and staff.
“I really appreciate the girls," said the 19-year-old. "I think something special that we have in this team is diversity.
“We have so many different nationalities in the team and that’s so nice. All the girls are nice, of course, and I’m quite settled now. I know a bit more about the players and staff, so I’m really happy here.
“It can be scary [joining a new club] because you could think that some groups stay together and don’t match, but everybody’s friends with everybody, even if they don’t speak the same language.”
Tickets for our clash against Charlton are still on sale, priced at £8 for Adults and £2 for U18s. Click HERE to get yours. Hammers supporters should book in West Lower, Block G.
