There was no hiding the delight on Sophie Harwood’s face as she put pen to paper on her first professional contract, and the young full-back is determined to keep going from strength to strength.
Sophie joined us from Southampton, where she had spent seven years, in 2024 and made her debut in pre-season against Tottenham in August 2025.
After committing her future to us, Sophie revealed that being in north London is the best place to further her development.
She said: “I think Arsenal paved the way for women's football for so long and they've really been pioneers of the game. So just being able to play for such a historic club, it means so much to me.
“I think every time I wear the badge, I just try and do my all and wear it with pride because it's such a special club with such special people.
“I think it means everything. I think since I started playing football, this was always one of the goals I wanted to achieve. So being able to do it at such a special club, it means so much to me and my family. It's a really proud moment.”
As is tradition with signing your first professional contract, Sophie was presented with her shirt at the Sobha Realty Training Centre. Donning 44 on her back in front of her family, the full-back could not contain her pride.
She said: “I saw my shirt with Harwood 44 on the back, which adds up to eight, my lucky number. It was the number I wore when I played for England, so I was really happy and to be able to have my family here as well, I think it's a really nice moment.
“I think all they've done for me over the years, sacrificing everything to take me all over the country, I think it's so nice. So to be able to repay back to them is like a really nice feeling.”
The teenager has enjoyed her transition into the first team squad in 2025/26, learning from a squad that won the Champions League last season.
She said: “I've been with the first team the whole season, which has been incredible.
“I think being able to train day in, day out with world-class players, I learn so much every single day. I try to take in everything I can and take little bits from other people's games into mine. So it's a great experience every day.
"Everyone has been really welcoming. Everyone's been lovely. So it's been a good integration to the team. I think Kim \[Little\] and Lotte \[Wubben-Moy\] have been really helpful in terms of integrating me.
"I think they always check in on me, see how I'm doing, which is really nice. I think their professionalism is amazing to look up to.”
Copyright 2026 The Arsenal Football Club Limited. Permission to use quotations from this article is granted subject to appropriate credit being given to www.arsenal.com as the source.