Nelly Guest

Nelly Guest (Manor 2024–2026)

Nelly’s football journey began on the grass of Blackheath in London, where she was first spotted while playing for her primary school. Coaches from Lewisham Borough recognised her potential and signed her for the 2018–19 season.

Her talent soon attracted attention from higher levels, and following trials at Millwall, she joined their U12 squad for the 2019–20 season. Over the next two years, she made 43 appearances for the club, scoring 8 goals and cementing her reputation as a composed, ball-playing central defender.

In July 2021, Nelly transferred to Crystal Palace, making 69 appearances over two seasons and again scoring 8 goals. A particular highlight came in the form of a prestigious end-of-season tournament in Mallorca, where she played against Real Madrid.

Nelly moved to Chelsea in June 2023 and featured 37 times for their U16 side, scoring 4 goals. Just a year later, she was offered a two-year contract with Brighton & Hove Albion Women U19s. Since the start of the current season, she has made 16 appearances and scored once. Competing in the FA’s newly established Women’s PGA League, Nelly has already faced top-tier sides including Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, and Southampton, with further exciting fixtures against Liverpool, Leicester City, and Sheffield United on the horizon.

Nelly’s international career began in February 2022, when she was invited to train with the Wales U15 squad in Cardiff. This led to her selection for the UEFA Women’s U15 Development Tournament in Belgrade, Serbia, where she made her international debut against North Macedonia and played against Serbia. That same season, she faced England U15s at St George’s Park and captained Wales Academy (South) in their traditional fixture against the North.

She stepped up to Wales U16s in 2024, competing in the UEFA Development Tournament in Istanbul, playing against China, Uganda, Paraguay, and Vietnam—scoring penalties in shoot-outs following the latter two matches.

In September 2024, Nelly was called up to Wales U17s and played two matches in Dublin against the Republic of Ireland. Her performances secured her place in the UEFA U17 European Championship qualifiers in Lisbon, where she faced Switzerland, hosts Portugal, and Slovenia—playing at the iconic Estádio Nacional do Jamor. A dramatic late penalty against Slovenia helped Wales secure a place in the next round of qualifiers in March 2025.

Since the start of this year, Nelly has represented Wales U17s six more times, bringing her total number of international caps to 18. In January, she travelled to the Algarve for a warm-up tournament ahead of the second round of European qualifiers, facing Denmark, Portugal, and Iceland—and proudly captaining the side against Iceland. She also netted her first international goal with a confidently taken penalty against Portugal.

In March, Nelly joined the squad in Bourges, France, for the UEFA Championship second-round qualifiers, playing against France, Scotland, and Slovakia. Once again, she captained the team, this time against France. While Wales did not progress to the final tournament, the level of opposition was extremely high, so much so that even England U17s failed to qualify. The players left with heads held high and invaluable international experience.

Both recent camps included enriching cultural experiences as well as football development, and on the pitch, Nelly showed great adaptability, taking on roles in midfield and even as a striker, in addition to her familiar position at the heart of defence.

Nelly’s growth on the international stage, alongside her continued development at Brighton & Hove Albion and at Lancing, marks her out as a remarkable young talent. We are incredibly proud of all she has achieved and look forward to watching her journey unfold.