Rovers Women midfielder Natasha Fenton has joined Sunderland for an undisclosed fee.

Fenton joined the club’s centre of excellence at the age of 13 and progressed through the ranks under long-serving manager Gemma Donnelly.

The midfielder made her first-team debut at 16 and went on to become an important member of the squad. She won three consecutive National League North titles between 2017 and 2019.

Fenton also helped Rovers clinch promotion to the Championship following a 3-0 play-off victory against Coventry United.

The 24-year-old wore the captain’s armband last season as the side achieved their best points tally at this level. She made 221 appearances in total and scored 24 goals during her time at the club.

A club statement read: “Everyone at Blackburn Rovers thanks Natasha for her incredible 11-year tenure and wish her as one of our own all the best for the future both on and off the pitch.”

Rovers Women are preparing for the new season, which begins against Birmingham City at Ewood Park on Saturday, August 26.

It is the first of at least four guaranteed fixtures in BB2 this season. The side will play their other home games at the Lancashire FA Country Ground in Leyland.

Earlier this week, the club announced the appointment of former Simon Parker as their new head coach.

Rovers Women season tickets are now available to purchase and are priced at £65 for adults, £25 for anyone between the ages of 12 and 17, and £15 for under-12s.

The club has also confirmed it will refund 50 per cent of season ticket prices if England win the Women’s World Cup.

Sarina Wiegman’s Lionesses begin the group stage against Haiti this weekend as they look to build on their Euro success last summer. They also have fixtures coming up against Denmark and China.