Ahead of the 2024/25 season English defender Lois Edwards penned a one-year extension to her contract after initially joining the Dons on a deal until the end of the season in January 2024. A run in then managers Clint Lancaster’s XI was plagued by injuries that saw her just feature eleven times between her debut against Boroughmuir Thistle in the Scottish Cup and the end of May.

After a retreat to Sardinia in the off-season to work on her fitness and appropriately prepare for her first full campaign in red, Edwards returned to the North-East to put pen to paper on a new deal and get ready to play her part in a new era for AFCW under Colin Bell.

“The signing process was very quick. I spoke to Clint a lot about it towards the end of the year. Knowing the project the club has, and where they want to go, it was an easy decision. I feel really settled in the city. I have got my bearings in the city now, so I am enjoying it. I am really enjoying exploring Aberdeenshire, I went to what they call the seals beach the other day in Newburgh, and then I have also gone a bit further and been to places like Ballater. I enjoy exploring and going on long walks, so it has been good.”

“I am from Suffolk, so where I grew up there was lots of nature, but in terms of clubs I have been at like Chelsea and Watford, which are obviously in London, it is very built up, so I like it here. It is quieter. I didn’t even think about far north Aberdeen was! At first, I didn’t find moving up bad, because it was straight into football. Once I got injured, it was a bit harder, I am far away from home. Especially having been out for so long before, I just wanted to play, so it was frustrating. It is all behind me now, I feel really good.”

“My Mum and Dad came up last season which was nice. I enjoyed showing them the city. My Mum came up again for the Rangers game. I think she is banned now; she is clearly not good luck!”

“At the end of the season I forced myself to take a week off, and then after that I did a lot to make sure I came back in good shape, so I don’t pick up any more injuries, I think it has made a big difference so far. I feel the fittest I have ever felt, my body feels really good. I’m recovering well from the intense sessions, and it means now I can focus on football. Now in training I can focus on the technical and tactical side and not my fitness, which is really refreshing as in the last few years I haven’t had much time on the pitch. I have noticed it is beneficial already, I have improved my game a lot. I just hope it can continue.”

After living with now departed Dons Keely Banfield and Jennifer Currie during her first spell in the North-East, Edwards now has two new flatmates in the form of summer signings Niamh Noble and Megan Sidey.

“I now live with Niamh and Megan. It has been good so far, we have a lot in common, we are all a similar age, so we get on really well. We do a lot outside of football. We speak a lot after games, but after that we do try and switch off, otherwise it is football 24/27. We spoke a lot after the Rangers game. We are defensive minded, so we analysed the goals, and spoke about what we need to do better, to avoid a similar outcome again.”

“It has been good working with Colin so far. He has a different approach and a different style, but it is going to push us all. I have found it refreshing, learning his philosophies, and a new way to play. He brings a new attitude. Away from the pitch he is trying a lot of things to bridge the gap. The early morning training sessions have been a bit of an adjustment! I am a morning person anyway, so I have enjoyed it. It took my body a bit of time to get used to going from late evenings to early mornings, but now I enjoy it.”

“My main target now is to be fit and available for every game, and to start as much as I can. I can only control the controllables. If I work hard each week in training, improve as much as I can, then hopefully the rest will come.”