New Albion Women signing Jess Collyer can bring plenty of firepower to their attack after joining from Loughborough Lightning.
The 21-year-old can play in a range of positions across the front line, and touches down in B71 with hopes of bolstering their FAWNL Northern Premier ambitions in 2026/27.
Wales youth international Collyer’s career began with West Ham United, where her development peaked with the Hammers in her final season. She made 18 appearances for their academy side, scoring four goals and creating one assist.
And it was while in East London she made her bow on the international stage, as she received her first Wales Under-19 caps in friendly clashes against the Republic of Ireland, before also featuring in European Qualifying clashes with England and Greece.
Jess soon sought pastures new, and moved north in search of regular senior football, alongside her university studies, and joined Loughborough Lightning, who were in tier four at the time.
Her debut campaign with Lightning bore many fruits for Collyer, as she experienced senior football for the first time.
The youngster was a 61st-minute substitute in a 1-1 draw with Sheffield FC in an FAWNL Division One Midlands encounter, and scored her first goal against Notts County as they triumphed over the Magpies in their opening home game of the 2023/24 campaign.
Despite Collyer’s consistent contributions to Loughborough’s attack, in which she scored four goals across 23 appearances, the Lightning were narrowly pipped to the only promotion spot in their division.
There was only goal difference between themselves and Sporting Khalsa (both on 53 points) as the East Midlanders were forced to recharge and reapply themselves for promotion in 2024/25.
Another season in the fourth tier proved to be exactly what Collyer needed, as she cemented herself in the Loughborough starting line-up and as one of the division’s best attacking players.
Charles Baxter’s side romped to the tier four title without losing a game, and finished on 60 points with Jess at the heart of everything positive about their impressive campaign. Collyer finished the term as the league’s third-highest goalscorer with 18, and also laid on five assists for her teammates.
Jess’ impressive showings continued even as Loughborough fought to keep themselves afloat at the bottom of the FAWNL Northern Premier, the same league as Albion, in 2025/26.
She notched five league goals and ended as Lightning’s top scorer. They finished three points and a place above the drop zone, earning two creditable draws against the Baggies in the process.
Alongside her personal goalscoring record, she also ended her spell in the East Midlands as their all-time leading appearance-maker with 77 caps.
And the solid grounding already forged in tier three will surely help Jess as she adjusts to life in B71 ahead of 2026/27.
