An ever-present for Ipswich Town in WSL2 this season, Jenna Dear will return to her old club Sunderland this weekend aiming to drag her former team to within a point of her current one and into the relegation dogfight.

Dear spent two seasons on Wearside, scoring six goals. Speaking to the media ahead of Sunday’s game, she insisted that so close to this potentially pivotal game, now was not the time to be messaging her former team-mates, although she has remained in touch with them through the season.

Looking back on her time there, Dear admitted: “It was really enjoyable, really positive. In the first season, we nearly gained promotion and obviously in the second year we didn't do as well. A good group of girls. It will be nice to see some familiar faces.”

Dear was an unused substitute for last weekend’s 5-0 FA Cup victory at AFC Portchester but a win there off the back of a highly creditable 1-1 draw the previous week at Durham has given Ipswich Town a bit of form going into the game at Sunderland.

“It's obviously really important for both teams, going into the break as well, into Christmas,” Dear reflected.

“Obviously on the back of the Durham game and the FA Cup game, we've got a lot of momentum going forward into the next match.”

Since coming on as a substitute for Ipswich Town in their opening WSL2 game away to Southampton, Dear has started every league game. She has been utilised at different times in deep-lying and attacking midfield positions for the team, and her head coach, Joe Sheehan, was full of praise for the 29-year-old.

“When we knew Jenna was potentially going to be available, we knew she brought great experience,” he said.

“She's played in different countries, different clubs and is a really good player. It wasn't until we met her and that we got to know her a little bit that we felt she was someone who was going to be quite influential in our group and has proved to be really popular.

“A really talented player, she's quite versatile. She's played in a couple of positions for us and is a little bit different to what we've got.

“I've really enjoyed working with Jenna since she's been with us. A player with super-quality and a player that's got a lot of experience at this level as well.”

London-born Dear idolised Arsenal's Kelly Smith at a young age but started her career at Chelsea, signing for them at the age of 14. There, she worked under Emma Hayes during their first title-winning season but failed to break through into the first team.

After spells at Watford, Everton and Sheffield FC, Dear made the brave decision to move to Norway in order to become fully professional.

At Vålerenga, Dear played in midfield alongside Sherida Spitse, the captain of the Netherlands’ Euro 2017 winning side, who went on to become the most capped European footballer of all time.

After two seasons there, she moved to French side FC Fleury 91 but left following alleged inappropriate conduct by a staff member at the club. She went to play for Dijon for two seasons before returning to England with Sunderland in 2023 after five years abroad.

Reflecting on her time overseas, Dear said: “Obviously, I moved away [from home] when I was 18 and moved overseas when I was 21. It really shaped me as a person and as a player.

“For me, my motivation was to play football and to get minutes, so everything else, it didn't really bother me and I didn't really think about it. I kind of went on my own journey, being overseas in Norway and then France because I knew the end goal was to eventually come back to England.”

Despite her difficulties in France, Dear would still recommend playing abroad but realises that there is now far greater opportunity for young players coming through within the domestic leagues.

“Definitely,” she added. “If you can stay in England - obviously because the league now is so good here - I'd probably say stay here. If you're looking for a new challenge, then definitely go abroad because it develops you as a player, especially at a young age.”

After a decade in the game, Dear is astounded by the leaps forward women's football in England has taken during her career.

“It's really changed,” she continued. “The growth of women's football over the last ten years has been huge. I can't see it going anywhere, it's only getting better, year in and year out.

“Obviously for the younger girls coming up now, that we've got in our team, I think it's great that we have got players that have been in and around it. The standard's not been as great when I grew up. To now see where it is now, it's obviously really good to see.”

Photo: TownTV