‘I’m truly excited about this opportunity’ - Sunshine Girl Gordon fulfils dream by securing pro contract in England

Sunshine Girls goal shooter Simone Gordon said it is a dream come true after securing her first professional contract with English side Leeds Rhinos, marking a major milestone in her career.

The 27-year-old Gordon has signed to compete in the Netball Super League, widely regarded as one of the world's premier netball competitions, and, according to her, the move will elevate her game to another level. However, she was unable to disclose the terms of the contract.

"Honestly, I have been putting in the work all these years and so I am truly excited about this opportunity," Gordon said. "This will certainly help me to gain more exposure and to continue to learn and grow in the sport, and also to get better."

FAMILY OVERWHELMED

She added that her family has been overwhelmed with pride at the achievement and they are backing her to do well in the competition this season.

"My parents are very elated about this contract even more than me, to be honest, because they know what I have been through, and so it is a big break for them as well," Gordon said.

The 6-foot-5 shooter has recently stepped up in the national setup in the absence of captain and star goal scorer Jhaniele Fowler, delivering solid performances for Jamaica's Sunshine Girls on recent international assignments.

Gordon, a former standout at The Queen's School, impressed during the team's tour of England, where she produced creditable displays against the England Roses in December of last year.

She also had a good showing for the Sunshine Girls in their three-Test series against Australia earlier this month.

"I think that I am at a high level, but with this contract I will be able to move to a higher level, and this is very massive for my career," Gordon stated.

"My workload now will have to be 10 times more than what I was doing before because there are a lot of good players in this league, so I will have to be on my A game to ensure that I am successful."

STEADY DEVELOPMENT

Gordon also shared that her steady development over the past few years has prepared her for the challenge, even as she continues to fine-tune areas of her game.

"I am definitely looking forward to playing in this league because I think that I have evolved a lot over the past few years. From where I was coming from and what I was struggling with, I have improved a lot, and I am on a good path to fixing the remaining issues so I won't have to struggle any more," she noted.

Gordon also sees the heightened competition as key to her international ambitions, particularly with the Commonwealth Games on the horizon.

"I think that the competition will definitely help me a lot because the Commonwealth Games is coming up and I would like to be a part of that experience as well," said Gordon.

"My coach will be looking on harder than she is right now, now that I have gotten a contract from an overseas team, so it is all about hard work now for me."