Charlton Athletic captain Kiera Skeels says her side will ‘keep pushing’ for promotion in the Women’s Super League 2 this season.
Charlton have been inches away from promotion twice over recent seasons, finishing third in the 2024/25 campaign and second the season before. The side will return to The Valley with big goals and bright dreams thanks to the restructuring of the WSL2 (formerly Women’s Championship) meaning there is now a potential three promotion spots available.
Addicks captain Kiera Skeels speaks to The Halfway Line about Charlton’s promotion hopes, working under head coach Karen Hills and an opening day clash with south London rivals Crystal Palace.
Charlton looking for promotion says Skeels
With the WSL set to expand, two teams will earn automatic promotion in the 2025/26 season, while the third-placed side will face the WSL’s 12th-placed team in a playoff for an extra spot in the league. Skeels says this will certainly give Charlton a boost heading into the new campaign.
“It gives extra motivation,” Skeels said. “Especially when the league gets to the final end of the league. It’s that extra motivation to keep going, keep pushing, and hopefully be in one of those spots if you’re not in first place.
“It definitely gives that added sort of motivation, and it’s exciting for us as a team. We’ve been close, we’ve been in and around it, so hopefully we can do a similar thing this year.
“I think for me, it’s to just try and be as consistent as possible. I want to try and be a massive part of the team, I want to try and drive the standards. You always look for promotion, but it’s also the process. You have to look at the process and what can I get out of it, and how can I help the team the best as possible? It’s exciting, and I’m looking forward to being able to push our team as far as we can.”
Charlton coach Karen Hills has put a lot of faith in me says Skeels
Skeels has been with the Addicks since 2021, making just shy of 70 appearances during her time in south-east London. The 23-year-old packed on the praise for head coach Karen Hills, explaining that she has given her the confidence to be herself.
“She’s just given me the confidence,” Skeels said. “She’s shown a lot of faith, she’s put a lot of faith in me, and she’s given me the confidence to be myself both on and off the pitch.
“She’s obviously helped me become a strong defender, being confident in my 1v1 battles, but also being composed on the ball. She’s given me the confidence to show what I can do, and I’m very thankful for that.”
Skeels looking forward to south London derby
Charlton will be thrown into the deep end on matchday one of the WSL2 this Sunday September 7, as the side prepare to host recently relegated Crystal Palace at The Valley. But, the pressure isn’t shaking Skeels.
“It’s exciting,” Skeels said. “Obviously, you want to be playing in those sorts of games. We missed out on it last season but we played them in the Conti Cup (League Cup) last season which was exciting.
“But, it’s nice to nice to have them back in the league and have that rivalry back again. Having them on the opening day, that’s obviously very exciting for us, and it’s something we’re looking forward to a lot.
The Eagles struggled in the top-flight, picking up just 10 points in the club’s maiden WSL season last campaign. However, Skeels isn’t underestimating the Eagles.
“It’s a clean slate and a new season,” Skeels admitted. “We’ve both got very different teams, but it’s obviously something you have in the back of your mind. It’s exciting to try and beat your rivals home and away. It will be a really exciting start to the season to have them as our first game.”
