29th November 2022
New Cheltenham Town Ladies signing Laura Holden admits she was shocked to hear the club had made an approach to sign her from one of their Southern Premier Division rivals.
The midfielder is familiar with the Robinesses, having played for Bridgwater United against Cheltenham in October. She found the back of the Cheltenham net that night to secure a 1-1 draw for the Somerset side and attracted the attention of the Cheltenham manager Tom Davies.
Holden, 21, has sealed the deal and is now making the move north to Gloucestershire, where she will spend the rest of the campaign.
“I am playing the highest standard of football I’ve ever played, so I am grateful for the opportunities I’ve had to get this far,” Holden told Gloucestershire Live’s Jon Palmer.
“The move to Cheltenham came as a surprise to be honest. The manager put in seven days’ for me and after a number of chats I was impressed with the set up and the ambitions of the club and it was something I wanted to be a part of.”
Holden, who works for Bristol and Wessex Water, is now hoping to make a positive impact at sixth-placed Cheltenham.
“I want to consistently perform well for the rest of this season and I’ve been very impressed with the club so far,” Holden said. “Training has been really good and high intensity.
“Everyone is super nice and I instantly felt comfortable which is pretty rare when joining a new club. I was impressed with the professionalism and everything that goes on behind the scenes is impressive.”
Holden initially moved away from her Norwich family home at 17 to pursue a career in football with Bristol City Academy.
“To start with, it was scary, coming to a place I had never been before. I didn’t know what to expect because I didn’t know anyone.
I moved in with a host family which at first was daunting but at the same time it’s changed my life and helped me get to where I am today and I wouldn’t change a single thing about the experience.”
Cheltenham play Cambridge United away in the Women’s National League Plate on Sunday, however Holden will have to wait to make her debut, due to being cup-tied.
