Former Womens captain Gilly Flaherty has spoken of her thoughts on the Hammers team this season so far.

The former West Ham United women’s captain, Flaherty has been closely following the remarkable performances of her former team during the early stages of the 2023/24 season. As the Hammers currently find themselves in 8th place after four games, Flaherty, who has retired from professional football, couldn’t help but express her enthusiasm for their progress.

Flaherty’s connection with West Ham runs deep, as she served the club for four years and was bestowed with the honor of wearing the captain’s armband. One of the defining moments of her tenure as captain was leading the team to an FA Cup final in their inaugural professional season in 2018/19. Her legacy in the Barclays Women’s Super League is nothing short of legendary, with a record-breaking 177 appearances to her name, making her the most capped player in the league’s history at the time of her retirement. Although her record has since been surpassed by Birmingham and Tottenham icon Kerys Harrop in April of this year, Flaherty will forever be remembered for scoring the first-ever WSL goal, a historic moment that occurred in a match against Chelsea back in 2011.

Recently, Gilly Flaherty joined Chris Scull as a co-host on the latest episode of West Ham’s Iron Cast Podcast. During the episode, they had the opportunity to engage in a conversation with the women’s team manager, Rehanne Skinner. Flaherty’s post-retirement role as a commentator for WSL matches on Sky Sports has allowed her to immerse herself in the sport even more than when she was an active player.

Flaherty made it clear that West Ham United holds a special place in her heart, thanks to the countless memories she created during her time in East London. Her deep-seated attachment to the club was evident when she provided commentary for West Ham’s match against Chelsea, even though it resulted in a 2-0 defeat at Kingsmeadow in mid-October.

Reflecting on her initial move to West Ham, Flaherty stated, via Iron Cast, that ‘ There was talk of West Ham being awarded a spot in the WSL and I remember thinking that it would be a good move for me. It was near to where I was living at the time, and I was excited by the challenge.’