Sophie Gillies: A New Chapter at Fulham by Reshma Rao

There are few better ways for a forward to announce herself at a new club than by immediately finding the back of the net. 

For Sophie Gillies, that is exactly what happened. 

Having arrived at Fulham following a remarkable spell with Exeter City, where she scored more than 100 goals, Gillies has already made an encouraging start to life in West London. Four goals in her opening three games have given Fulham supporters an early glimpse of what their new recruit can bring. 

According to Gillies herself, joining Fulham was a decision driven by one factor above all else: ambition. 

“I could see how successful they’ve been,” she explained. “They just came off two promotions. I knew I could do well in the league again, and I just wanted to play for a team that would be very ambitious.”

That ambition has become a defining feature of Fulham Women over the past couple of seasons. The club has enjoyed back-to-back league titles and promotions, with the squad building momentum as it has climbed the women’s football pyramid and aims to keep progressing. 

The transition to a new club can take time, but Gillies has settled in well which has translated to her performances on the pitch. In her opening matches, she scored 2 goals against Real Bedford, 1 goal against Actonians and 1 more against Plymouth. Fulham have won their first three matches in the league, resulting in a truly impressive run of 50 unbeaten games. 

Describing her first Fulham goal, she said: “It happened really quickly and almost surprisingly. I did what I normally try to do, which is get in the right areas, and it was a great cross from my teammate, Anna [Grey], and I managed to find the back of the net.” 

For supporters who haven’t watched Gillies regularly before her move to Fulham, the forward describes herself in three words: hardworking, quick and direct. She is not afraid to take defenders on, get in the box, and ultimately, has a desire to score goals.  

Working with Fulham Head Coach Steve Jaye has already challenged her to broaden her game. “I’m playing in a slightly different role to where I played at Exeter, and he’s helped me to change the way that I’m playing a bit.” That willingness to learn is an important part of her outlook. 

Playing different positions allows her to become more versatile in her playing style and take advantage of more opportunities: “I think it’s always helpful if you can play different positions. It always gets you on the pitch more.” 

Gillies attended the University of California, Irvine and played for their women’s team, an experience she believes had a significant impact on the player she has become. 

“I think it helped me become more athletic,” she reflected. “They really value athleticism in America. It turned me into a more professional player. The mental part is learning how to be resilient, even when things don’t really go your way.”

That attitude could prove particularly valuable during a long and demanding season and one that she is sharing with her teammates as Fulham’s ambitions continue to grow. 

“Personally, I always want to score as many goals as possible, but the team comes first. We want to play as high as possible so it would be great if we could get promoted again but we just want to play as well as we can now.” 

She has arrived at the club hungry to improve, ready to embrace a new role and determined to see how far the team can go. If her excellent performances in the first few weeks are anything to go by, Sophie Gillies could prove to be a very important piece of Fulham’s next chapter.