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THE LASSES LEDGER
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Chloe Paxton’s name has been floating around the Sunderland senior setup for months; a quiet presence in training, a young player absorbing everything, learning the pace, the physicality, the demands of senior football albeit without being handed the chance to show what she could do.
Every time the squad list came out, you could sense the anticipation from those who knew her potential.
She’d been training with the first team since the start of the year, growing sharper, stronger and more confident, but waiting for the moment where preparation becomes reality. However, on Sunday, that moment finally arrived — and in the most intense setting imaginable.
A derby against Newcastle isn’t a gentle introduction nor a soft landing. It’s a cauldron and a match that exposes you if you aren’t ready; something that tests your nerve before it tests your ability.
When the teamsheet dropped and her name appeared — not just in the squad but in the starting eleven — it felt like a shock that carried excitement and disbelief in equal measure.
Starting a derby is one thing, yet starting in a derby at centre back is something else entirely. It’s a position that leaves you open to scrutiny, where every decision matters and where a single misjudgment can change the entire match. It’s a role that demands courage, clarity and composure, and can overwhelm even experienced players.
Yet from the moment she stepped onto the pitch, Paxton looked like she’d been waiting for this for her entire life.
The first thing that stood out was her composure — not the kind of composure that comes from arrogance or overconfidence, but from understanding the game deeply.
She moved with purpose, not hesitation, positioning herself with a calmness that settled the players around her and looking like someone who’d studied the rhythm of senior football long enough to recognise patterns before they unfolded. Her reading of the game was exceptional, anticipating danger early, stepping into passing lanes with perfect timing and never once looking flustered when Newcastle tried to push forward.
Her positional awareness was one of the most impressive parts of her performance.
She knew exactly when to step up and when to hold her line, judging the movement of Newcastle’s forwards with a maturity that felt far beyond her years. Every time Shania Hayles tried to find space, Paxton was already there, cutting off the angle, forcing her wide or taking the ball cleanly. It was the kind of defensive intelligence you usually see in players that’ve been in the senior game for a long time, yet she made it look natural, as though she’d been doing it for seasons rather than minutes.
SUNDERLAND, ENGLAND - MARCH 29: Shania Hayles of Newcastle United (9) gets tackled during the Barclays Women’s Super League 2 match between Sunderland and Newcastle United at Stadium of Light on March 29, 2026 in Sunderland, England. (Photo by Serena Taylor/Newcastle United via Getty Images)
SUNDERLAND, ENGLAND - MARCH 29: Shania Hayles of Newcastle United (9) gets tackled during the Barclays Women’s Super League 2 match between Sunderland and Newcastle United at Stadium of Light on March 29, 2026 in Sunderland, England. (Photo by Serena Taylor/Newcastle United via Getty Images)
Her tackling was another highlight, as she timed her challenges with precision, never diving in recklessly, never hesitating, never giving Newcastle a chance to exploit a mistake.
When she went in for the ball, she won it cleanly; when she needed to stand her ground, she did it with strength and confidence. She wasn’t intimidated by the physicality of the match. She embraced it. She looked like a player who understood that derbies are not won by shrinking away from contact but by meeting it head on.
Paxton’s aerial ability added another layer to her performance.
She rose for headers with conviction, judged the flight of the ball well and made sure Newcastle never gained momentum from set pieces or long balls. It’s rare to see a young defender look so assured in the air — especially in a match during which the stakes are so high — but she handled every aerial challenge with the same calm authority she showed on the ground.
Her composure on the ball was equally impressive.
She didn’t panic when pressed. She didn’t rush clearances or treat the ball like something to get rid of quickly. Instead, she looked comfortable in carrying the ball out from the back, picking sensible passes and linking play with confidence.
Her connection with Brianna Westrup grew stronger as the match went on. The two of them worked together with an understanding that felt surprisingly natural for a partnership that had never been tested in a competitive senior match. Westrup’s experience blended perfectly with Paxton’s intelligence, creating a defensive pairing that looked stable, organised and difficult to break down.
Hayles came into this match with a reputation that usually forces defenders onto the back foot— yet Paxton handled her with a level of control that felt almost surreal for someone making a senior debut.
Hayles tried to stretch the line, drift into pockets, pull wide, drop deep…anything to unsettle her, but she stayed one step ahead throughout, reading every movement with a calmness that stripped the threat away before it could develop. Whenever Hayles looked for space, she closed it down. Whenever she tried to turn, Paxton was already set, and whenever she attempted to build momentum, she ran straight into a red and white wall.
By the time Newcastle took Hayles off, the reasoning was obvious: she’d had been kept quiet all afternoon, unable to influence the game in any meaningful way. She found no joy against Paxton and the truth is that she probably did need to check her pockets after the match, because Hayles might’ve still been in there.
What made the performance even more remarkable was the maturity she showed throughout.
Young defenders often struggle with the emotional side of derbies. The noise, the pressure, the intensity and the expectation can swallow them, making them rush decisions or lose their structure, but Paxton didn’t fall into any of those traps.
She played with a calmness that lifted the entire back line, communicating well, staying focused and not allowing the the occasion to overwhelm her. She looked like someone who’d been preparing for this moment quietly, patiently, waiting for the chance to prove she belonged — and she did.
Paxton’s performance didn’t need a list of moments to prove its quality — the evidence was there everywhere you looked.
Her timing in challenges, calmness under pressure, ability to read danger early, her confidence in possession and control in the air, her handling of Hayles, her communication with the back line, her refusal to be rattled by the occasion…every part of her game carried the same message.
She belonged out there. She looked like someone who had stepped into senior football with a level of assurance that is incredibly rare for a debut, especially in a derby. Nothing about her performance suggested hesitation or uncertainty, and she played with the kind of presence that makes you forget she’s still at the very beginning of her journey.
For those that know her story, the pride runs even deeper.
Paxton has overcome more obstacles than most players her age. Recurring injuries as a youth player can break confidence, stall development, or push someone out of the game entirely, yet she fought through them, rebuilding herself and keeping going. On Sunday, all of that resilience came together in a performance that felt like a reward for every setback she’s endured. It felt like a moment that belonged to her, earned through persistence and character.
The pride her family must feel is immense.
They’ve supported her through every challenge, every injury, every moment of doubt and on every step of her journey. To see her step onto the pitch in a derby, wearing the Sunderland shirt and playing with that level of confidence and quality must’ve been overwhelming in the best possible way. It was the kind of moment families dream of; the kind of moment that makes every difficult chapter worth it.
For the supporters, this was a glimpse of the future, a reminder of what this club stands for and that Sunderland’s identity is built on developing young talent, giving opportunities to players who understand the badge and trusting them to rise to the occasion.
Paxton embodied that identity, She showed what it means to come through the system, to fight for your chance and to step into the spotlight and make it your own.
Her performance wasn’t just good for a debut — it was good for any defender at any stage of their career, controlled, intelligent, brave and composed. It was the kind of performance that makes you excited to see what comes next and makes you believe she has a bright future in red and white.
This was a statement made by a young player stepping into the fiercest fixture of the season and playing like she’d been waiting for this moment her entire life. A centre back who refused to be intimidated and who shut down an international forward, Paxton showed exactly why the club has been nurturing her so carefully.
If this was the beginning, the future looks bright.
Paxton was immense on Sunday. And this felt like just the start.