Toland signs two-year deal with Blackburn Rovers
FORMER Sion Swifts player, Tyler Toland, has signed for Blackburn Rovers Women.
The highly-rated midfielder, who hails from St Johnston and is the daughter of Finn Harps legend Maurice Toland, was a key player during her time at Sion Swifts Ladies where won the IFA Women’s Challenge Cup in her first season with the north Tyrone side.
Her performances soon caught the attention of footballing giants, Manchester City Women, and she signed her first professional contract with City back in 2019 aged 18 years-old.
She made her senior debut only a month into the season against Leicester City in the Continental Tyres League Cup and went onto make three more senior appearances for City during her debut season before joining Scottish champions Glasgow City on loan for the 2020-21 campaign.
She then moved to Celtic FC Women where she helped the Hoops to a cup double, winning the Scottish Cup and Scottish League Cup.
The 21-year-old then made the switch to Liga F side Levante UD where she spent the entirety of the 2022-23 season.
She is Simon Parker’s first signing for the Lancashire club where she has put pen-to-paper on a two-year deal.
“I’m really, really happy to be here,” Toland said of joining the club. “I visited the club a few weeks back and it’s got great people and great facilities.
“So, I’m really excited to be here and I can’t wait to get started.”
Toland also shares that the club’s ambitions for the next few seasons played a key part in attracting her to Rovers.
“I think it’s really important to visit where you going to spend your future at,” she continued.
“So, seeing the girls, the coaching staff and the club’s ambitions before was important.
“It’s a massive club with big ambitions for the next few seasons so I can’t wait to get started.”
Toland is also aiming to drive the team to more success during the 2023-24 campaign as she is excited to see what the side can do.
She added: “I’m here to help the team and to drive the team on to more success.
“Last season is definitely something to build off.
“We’ve set the standards now so we’re looking to push on from here and see what we can achieve together as a team.”
Toland also shares that her best attribute as a player is being on the ball as she gives an insight into what she will bring to the team.
“I would describe myself as a four,” she said.
“I’m a defensive midfielder and I like to connect the defence to the forward line.
“I’m a really technical player and I’m good on the ball which is my best attribute.”
In addition to her club successes, Toland also marked the milestone of being the youngest player to make her senior debut for the Republic of Ireland senor squad.
She made her international debut aged just 16 in September 2017 against Northern Ireland and was a key part of the side who were pipped to a place at the 2019 World Cup by eventual quarter-finalists Norway.
Such was her impressive performances on the international stage that she was nominated for the Professional Footballers’ Association of Ireland’s ‘Player of the Year’ award in 2018.
She scored her first international goal two years later in a 2-0 win over Montenegro in a UEFA Women’s 2022 Euros qualifier.
