At 30 years old, Laura Malcolm has steadily become part of the furniture at Manchester Thunder, almost becoming as iconic as the yellow and black dress. Inspired by her sports-mad family, she started her netball journey aged ten, originally playing as a goal keeper and in goal defence, and was quickly recognised at country level.
Throughout her netball career, Malcolm has become one of the most decorated played in Vitality Netball Superleague history, having been a part of the team when Manchester Thunder won all three of their Superleague titles in 2012, 2014 and 2019.
Malcolm is also a regular for England Roses, and has recently taken part in the Cadbury Netball Series against New Zealand. The Roses produced a stunning comeback after a defeat in the opening game, going on to win the remaining two matches and complete their first ever series win against New Zealand.
“I’m looking forward to picking up from where we left off. I think we finished the season not quite as strong as we would have liked, but there are so many positives to take out of last year. We went on a massive journey, and we have become so connected as a team and I just can’t wait to be back in that environment and start pushing again. We definitely need to take care of some unfinished business.”
“Last season, being part of the leadership team with Emma and Ellie, I felt really supported. We really look out for each other and the rest of the team, and obviously last year it was really important that we kept having conversations and kept challenging each other, because obviously it was a really tough year. We worked really closely not only with the players but also the coaches to make sure that we were always pushing forward as a team and making sure that everyone is navigating through the season well. We created some new processes that will benefit us a lot going forwards in the future.”
“I can’t wait to get back in Belle Vue. I still remember the last home game that we had before the season got cancelled, and it was absolutely electric in there so I can’t wait to have the fans back. It was a special journey last year because everybody got to watch every single game online and was part of the whole journey. Even though we didn’t have the Thunder fans with us, we definitely felt the love, so it’s going to be a really special time when we get to go back on court and everyone’s there with us so we can all enjoy the game together.”
Karen Greig, Manchester Thunder Head Coach, said:
“I’m delighted to have re-signed Laura for this upcoming season. She is a key member of the squad last season and her ability to be able to play across all 3 centre court positions gives us flexibility across our combinations. She is a true leader both on and off the court, bringing so much passion to this team. She is as fit as ever and always striving to improve. I know she will be coming back off a solid international block with more strings to her bow.”
