Portsmouth hope going full-time will allow them to survive in what looks likely to be the most competitive Championship season ever.
Fellow newly promoted side Newcastle United are heavily backed by their Saudi-led ownership, with signings including former England international Demi Stokes, while London City Lionesses – led by wealthy owner Michele Kang – have signed Sweden international Kosovare Asllani among other statement signings.
Add in former WSL clubs Birmingham City, Bristol City and Sunderland, and the scale of Portsmouth’s task becomes clear – but the players feel the right moves are being made.
“It’s coming in, having breakfast, training, doing your gym work, having lunch and being fed well,” says Rowbotham. “It makes such a difference compared to last year where you were coming in after a full day of work, racing to get to training on time, probably not having dinner then having to try and perform in the evening when it can be cold, dark and things like that. It’s truly life-changing.”
For Younger, going professional represents a major change from just a couple of years ago when she was “buzzing” about being allowed to claim 15p a mile for petrol, and having to deal with being the butt of co-workers’ jokes.
“Some of the boys from work came down to the games and would give me stick on a Monday morning,” she said. “I would get it in the neck. They used to watch the highlights and I would walk in at 6am and they’d be like, ‘Jazz, why did you do that’.
“I got some stick when I scored an own goal, they didn’t let that go for three weeks. And as a centre-half most of the highlights were when the opposition scored.
“But they are just buzzing for me. I’ve left that work now, there were a few tears for me from fully grown men, but it feels good to play football full-time.”