Aston Villa midfielder and former Lioness Jordan Nobbs has set a new record for the most appearances made in the Women’s Super League.
The 31-year-old took to the pitch for Villa‘s clash against Brighton at the Broadfield Stadium on Saturday.
Nobbs made football history on SaturdayGetty
The match marks her 193rd time playing in the league – with 36 of those appearances having come in a Villa shirt.
However, Nobbs is undoubtedly best known for the 12 years she spent as an Arsenal player.
She bid farewell to the Gunners in January 2023, but not before making 157 WSL appearances for the club.
During her time at Arsenal, she also won three WSL titles, four FA Cups, and five League Cups – not the mention the eternal love of a club whose fans still lament her loss.
Her move to the Midlands was one of the most shocking transfers in WSL history as she went in search of more regular playing time.
And she scored four times in just 11 appearances in her first season with Villa, now one of the side’s most valuable players.
She overtakes Chelsea’s Sophie Ingle who had held the record for the most appearances in the WSL since November 2023.
Ingle broke the record by making her 184th appearance against Liverpool, but then played a further eight times last season to leave the record at 192 appearances.
Unfortunately, the midfielder suffered a potentially season-ending ACL injury in Chelsea’s pre-season fixture against Feyenoord and has been unable to further extend her record this term.
This accolade could not have gone to anyone more deserving given the contribution that Nobbs has made to domestic and to international football.
Nobbs has scored a total of 58 goals in the WSLGetty
The last time Arsenal won the WSL in 2018/19, Nobbs contributed 9 goals to their campaign
There are few players in the world who have had more bad luck when it comes to international tournaments and on so many occasions it would have been easy for the midfielder to call time on her career.
She was set to be one of the stars of Euro 2022 – which England went on to win – but was ruled out with a devastating knee injury just a month before the tournament.
That, after she had missed the entirety of the 2019 Women’s World Cup due to an ACL injury.
It is hard to imagine the anguish she must have gone through – but ever the biggest supporter of her teammates, Nobbs was the Lionesses‘ loudest fan at both tournaments as she attended games that she should have been starring in.
But if there is one thing Nobbs is known for, it is that she never gives up.
Speaking to talkSPORT in September 2022 after being called back up to the England squad, she explained just how hard it had been to pick herself up after missing the European Championship that year.
She said: “It (was) actually my third tournament injured. I’ve dealt with setbacks before. I went to the games because I wanted to show that I’m fully behind [the team], whether you start, on the bench or just part of that team.
Nobbs was part of Sarina Wiegman’s England squad who finished runners-up at the 2023 World CupGetty
“My injuries have just been really bad timing. I think mentally, I have gone through some really tough moments. It’s like: ‘Oh my god, is it happening again?’ And probably this one, I did take some time away from football because my mental health is important and I needed a break away.
“That love for football and wearing an Arsenal shirt or an England shirt, that’s what always drives me back and that’s my motivation every single time.”
A player repeatedly praised for her outstanding work-rate and determination to be at her best, not only did she return to fitness and to play on both occasions, but her start to life at Villa earned her a place in the 2023 Women’s World Cup squad.
It was a feat which must have seemed impossible at one point, but it vindicated her decision to leave behind her beloved Arsenal.
For a player who picked up an excellent 71 international caps – but who really deserved so many more – it is right and fitting that Nobbs has now etched her name into the WSL record books.
