Midfielder Megan Bell has moved Trentside to join Nottingham Forest in their hunt for promotion to the Women’s Championship, but who is she and what is her history?

The Northern Ireland international started her career at just fourteen-years old, after signing her first contract with Linfield in 2015. Megan had been a part of their academy since the age of nine, but her high levels of technicality and attacking ability meant that she trained with the senior team from the age of fourteen. Bell made an instant impact within her senior debut for the club, scoring two goals in a 6-1 home win against Sion Swifts. Her success with Linfield didn’t stop at being an incredible goalscorer – she went on to win three consecutive Women’s Premiership titles between the years of 2016 and 2018.

Whilst still being at school, Bell not only pursued her dream of playing football for a club, but she also made her senior debut for her home nation, Northern Ireland, at the age of sixteen. Bell was thrown in at the deep end, featuring in the starting XI for a 2019 World Cup Qualifier against Slovakia, in which they secured a 3-1 victory. Only four months later, she scored her debut goal in a 1-1 draw against Romania at the 2018 Turkish Women’s Cup friendly tournament. Bell now has 34 caps for the senior team, along with three goals.

The 23-year-old had also captained her country at Under-15, U17 and U19 levels, featuring in the U19s Euros in 2017.

After four years playing in Northern Ireland, Megan crossed the border to join FA Women’s Championship side Durham in the summer of 2019. The contract saw Bell partake in a semi-professional contract, as her studies at Durham University coincided with the move. It appeared to be that Megan’s trademark was scoring in her debut games, as she found the net in the 7th minute of her club debut against Leicester City in the 2019/20 season opener.

Megan shortly announced her departure from the club in the second half of the season, as she turned her focus to playing football full-time. In January 2020, Rangers Women offered Bell the opportunity to sign a two-year professional contract – an offer which was too good for the young talent to turn down. The midfielder bolstered the Rangers team, playing an influential role in them lifting the league title for the first time in the club’s history in the 2021/22 campaign.

Bell’s next step in her career sees her reunite with Northern Ireland teammates Caragh Hamilton, Casey Howe and Nat Johnson, as she joins the Garibaldi on a permanent deal.

As an attacking midfielder, Megan will be a fantastic asset for the Reds in their push for promotion to the Women’s Championship. Her sharp awareness allows her to find space within the opposition’s defence and link up seamlessly with teammates, crafting intelligent passing sequences to create goal-scoring opportunities.

As Bell embarks on this new chapter, Forest will be eager to see the impact she can make in the famous Garibaldi red.

The club have also signed former Notts County striker Sophie Haywood on loan from Newcastle United.

*Article provided by Abigail Murphy (Women’s Football Correspondent).

*Main image @NFFCWomen Megan Bell joins Forest from Rangers.