Ingle seeks confidence and Wales caps in Bristol

Wales midfielder Sophie Ingle says she chose to join Bristol City so she could "get back to being myself and being confident" as she targets more Wales caps.

Ingle, 34, returned to Bristol City on a two-year deal this summer after leaving Chelsea, where she won 11 trophies in seven seasons.

She won her 142nd international cap for Wales at Euro 2025 this summer after recovering from an anterior cruciate ligament injury that kept her out of the entire 2024-25 campaign.

Ingle hopes regular playing time with the Robins will bring back her pre-injury sharpness as she seeks to add to her international appearances at a time when national team manager Rhian Wilkinson has suggested some established players may retire from that level.

"Ten years is a long time away from a football club, but it's so nice to be back here at Bristol City, obviously a lot has changed in the 10 years and rightly so," said Ingle.

"It was just an exciting opportunity for me to come back to the football club."

Ingle - who left in 2015 for a three-year spell at Liverpool before swiching to west London - previously captained the Bristol side in her first spell with the club.

"It's about feeling valued as well," said Ingle. "Bristol City want the women's team at Ashton Gate and that for us as a women's team is really important.

"For someone like myself who's been through different teams and not always had that representation from a football club, those small things mean a lot to me."

Bristol City will play all their home games at Ashton Gate this season, following the conclusion of the Women's Rugby World Cup.

The 27,000-seat stadium hosts both semi-finals as New Zealand take on Canada on Friday night and England take on France on Saturday afternoon.

Ingle is one of more than 10 new signings for the club as they target a return to the Women's Super League.

"When I first spoke to Charlotte [Healy, head coach] her demands and standards were very high which linked with mine," said the midfielder who can also play in defence.

"It's obviously going to be hard, WSL2 is always such a tight league, each team can take points off everyone, so it's never set in stone that team A is going to win.

"It's going to be a long season and we're going to have to find ways to keep digging in and getting points on the board.

"Come the business end of the season we want to be in a position where we can get promoted.

"This football club deserves to be in the top division and I think we can get there."

Ingle adds to a strong Welsh contingent at the club, with Ella Powell already there and full-back Esther Morgan also joining this summer.

Former Wales team-mate Loren Dykes also remains part of the club's coaching staff.

In addition to the club's ambitions, geography also played a part in Ingle's return to the club.

"It's nice to be back close to Wales and see my family more, I think that's really important a happy player off the pitch is a happy player on the pitch."

After an opening day 5-1 defeat at Birmingham City in which she played 75 minutes, the Robins bounced back with a 2-0 win over Portsmouth in their second game, with Ingle playing the full 90 minutes.

"I'm back on the pitch doing everything I can to be back where I was before the injury.

"They've [Bristol City] progressed me really well in pre-season and hopefully the next few weeks my sharpness can come within the games."

Despite Wales boss Wilkinson suggesting some Wales internationals may retire in October when the team host Australia in Cardiff, Ingle is quick to speak of her hunger to continue playing international football.

"We can't wait for the October camp, hopefully the next few weeks I get a bit more match minutes and sharpness ready for that game against Australia.

"I haven't seen much in Wales [of the Euros legacy] but that's the plan on the next camp.

"In a few places they've done murals at schools and community centres.

"I think there's one at my old school so it will be really nice to go and visit and do a talk or a football session within that school, that's always been really important to us as a team."