{"id":14091,"date":"2026-05-19T14:16:14","date_gmt":"2026-05-19T13:16:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/faw.cymru\/adran-leagues\/?p=14091"},"modified":"2026-06-03T11:57:40","modified_gmt":"2026-06-03T10:57:40","slug":"faw-national-league-awards-hear-from-the-winners-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/faw.cymru\/adran-leagues\/news\/faw-national-league-awards-hear-from-the-winners-2\/","title":{"rendered":"FAW National League Awards: Hear from the winners"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Wrexham\u2019s Katie Barker topped off a memorable campaign by taking home the Genero Adran Premier Player of the Season award at the FAW National League Awards on Saturday night.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Record-breaker in the goalscoring charts, Wrexham forward Katie Barker has been a sensation in the top-flight since joining from Newcastle United last summer. 25 league goals later, she is a double winner with The Red Dragons, with her pace, clinical finishing and intelligence on the ball was inevitable throughout the campaign. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Llanfair United\u2019s Tania Wylde was awarded the Player of the Season award in the Genero Adran North. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The former Aberystwyth Town striker has proved why she\u2019s one of the most clinical forwards in the Welsh domestic game in recent years. Joining Llanfair United last summer, Wylde had 18 goal contributions to her name and was a key reason for the Powys-based side finishing second in the table for a second season in a row. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Shocked. Very shocked. Was not expecting it at all. The Connah’s Quay girls are up there aren’t they, so I’ve had a tough one!”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I’ve absolutely loved it. I’ve just joined Llanfair, my first season with them, so learning new names, a new club, travelling and everything like that. They made me fall in love with the game. The girls absolutely welcomed me straight in, and I’ve just loved scoring for them. It’s what I do best.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Asked about Llanfair’s second-place finish, Wylde added: “We could’ve had it. Next season we’re having it. We’re winning. That’s all I can say.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In the Genero Adran South, it was Cardiff Met\u2019s Esme Kilburn-Thompson who was crowned the Adran South\u2019s Player of the Season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the most inform strikers in Wales at the back end of 2023\/24, a long-term injury kept her out of action last season. Now back on the pitch, that form has continued, and with 13 league goals to her name in the Genero Adran South, she has claimed the league\u2019s golden boot and has been vital to Cardiff Met\u2019s title-winning campaign. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I’m really buzzing with it. I’m really proud. I think we had a really tough season last year, but I think we’ve worked really hard and we definitely deserved to get promoted.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I’m excited for the challenge. I mean obviously it’s going to be hard, but I think we’ll give it our best shot and we deserve to be up there.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Now for the Manager of the Season awards, and in the Genero Adran Premier, it was Wrexham\u2019s Jenny Sugarman who took home the prize in her first year managing in the Welsh top-flight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s been an incredible transformation at Wrexham, with Sugarman turning the North Wales side into title winners since joining from Leicester City last summer. Her pedigree has had the desired impact on the Wrexham squad, with the Red Dragons losing just twice on their way to lifting the top-flight crown for the first time ever.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I’m absolutely delighted for myself and for my staff team. This is a job you can’t do on your own. You have an incredible group of staff behind you that push and challenge those players every day to be the best that we can be. It’s sometimes a tough unforgiving job that we give ourselves to. It’s fun, it’s exciting and to be able to finish the season this way is credit to the work that everybody at the club’s done.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On completing the double; “I’m incredibly proud. We had a couple of really special evenings. That night in Bangor, picking up the first piece of major silverware in the club’s history was a real special moment and a real validating moment for the journey that this group of players are on. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“We have to tip the hat to everything that’s gone before. It’s an incredible journey the club as a whole has been on to get to this point, with the women’s team over the last few years since their rebirth and even what went before that. So, to be able to deliver not one trophy but two, and that also being the championship, which is obviously the big one, to be crowned ourselves the best team in Wales, that was the objective. Did we think we’d get there this season? Perhaps not. So to do it perhaps earlier than anyone expected as well is just credit really to the group of people that work behind the scenes every day at the club.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“We want to be the best we can be. We want to keep pushing standards, we want to keep growing, we want to keep playing exciting football. Early on we had to find different ways to win and I think by the end of the season, what we saw is a team very comfortable with the ball that can create a lot of chances and not just play in transition and quick counters that we perhaps had done earlier in the season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“We want to keep bettering ourselves, we’ll look to bring in players that will help us improve as well, not just with the style of play but for who we are and the culture that we try to create within this team. It’s not just about the football we play on the pitch, it’s about the people. It’s about the work that we do together, enjoying the work that we do together and ultimately, creating a team that our fans can be proud of.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Connah\u2019s Quay Nomads’ Jordan Parry was awarded the prize in the Genero Adran North. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was back-to-back unbeaten league-winning campaigns for Jordan Parry\u2019s Connah\u2019s Quay Nomads. 32 points from a possible 36 saw the Flintshire side finish eleven points clear at the top of the table. This award concludes Parry\u2019s time at the Nomads helm, after he announced that he would be stepping down after five years in charge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the Genero Adran South, it was Cardiff Met\u2019s Jonathan Nash who was crowned the winner. Met went on invincible in the league this year, scoring 55 and conceding five along the way. James and his side made up for last year\u2019s play-off heartbreak by gaining promotion to the Genero Adran Premier this year, and the manager is full of admiration for everyone involved at the club.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“It’s surreal still. I just can’t put it into words what a season it’s been. It’s unbelievable, but it’s all about the staff behind the scenes. Yeah I’m the face but what goes on behind the scenes, not just from staff that are coaching but from the director of football and above that it’s just amazing”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The players have been unbelievable for me. They’ve put up with a lot. I’m a very intense type character as a manager, I’m full on, one hundred miles per hour. The girls have been absolutely fantastic in how they’ve dealt with me all this season.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Cardiff Met have a rich history of how good they’ve been, from a Champions League point of view and from winning so many titles. We have to go back to what we always talk about which is we have to earn everything. We’re not entitled to anything and unfortunately at times at the football club, especially when I came in there was a lot of entitlement and I think we needed to change that narrative around that you have to earn everything to go back to the big time.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about challenging in the Adran Premier next season, Nash emphasised: “I’m excited. I think that’s why we get in to coaching. I think it’s important that we understand what the landscape looks like up there. There’s some very good teams who are very established and it’s going to be a challenge, but I think that’s the beauty about sport isn’t it, how you take that challenge on and everyday we’ll try and find a way. We know what the quality looks like. It’s important that we try to bring in that quality as well. It’s one of those things we’ll keep working on as much as we can.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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To the Young Player of the Season awards now, and in the Genero Adran Premier, the trophy remained in Cardiff with the Bluebirds’ Lily Billingham. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 20-year-old midfielder had ten goal contributions in the league this season, but there is so much more importance to her place in the Cardiff side than just the goals and it is why she\u2019s recognised as a standout player in the division.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the Genero Adran North, it was Flint Town United’s Rosie Hughes who sealed the prize. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Departing for the US in the summer, she’s been an incredible addition to the Genero Adran North since the Silkwomen were promoted to tier two. Flair, goalscoring and passion in abundance, Hughes had nine goal contributions this season. She hopes that Flint can keep up their performances in her absence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I didn’t expect it at all so I’m shocked but I’m very grateful.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“At the start of the season we set out to improve on last year and then I think we’ve smashed that to be honest and hopefully next season Flint can push on again. I’ve got friends for life there, my family’s there, my two sisters play and my Mum and Dad are involved so I’ll miss it a lot but I’m excited for what’s to come”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Carmarthen Town\u2019s Ophelia Jenkins took home the Genero Adran South Young Player of the Season award.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like her sisters, Ophelia is writing her own story. The 17-year-old attacking midfielder has ten goal contributions in 13 games, in her debut season at senior level. Formerly of Cymru U16s, Jenkins has set the Genero Adran South alight this season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Very ecstatic. I wasn’t expecting it at all.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reflecting on the campaign as a whole, she added: “It was a very challenging season. We didn’t expect much at the start, but we progressed and progressed and we did really well to place second and we wish to push further.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speaking about playing in such a youthful squad, Jenkins said: “I really enjoy it. Being young with all youngsters means that I can bond with them and make new friends, it’s been very nice.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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View gallery and buy photos<\/a>

2026 FAW National Leagues Awards<\/h2>

Genero Adran Leagues stars receive recognition<\/p>

View gallery and buy photos<\/div><\/div><\/div>
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