ELLA GIBBONS’ return to Scotland has been something of a whirlwind. The netball player has signed for UWS Sirens having spent the past year playing for Loughborough Lightening and just a few weeks after being plunged into pre-season training with her new team, the 23 year-old is straight into national duty with Scottish Thistles.

The Scots take on Samoa this weekend in a two match test series in Perth and are keen to continue the momentum they built up at Netball Europe last month, where they produced some impressive performances beating Wales and Fiji, both of whom are ranked higher than the Scots.

2018 is shaping up to be a huge year for the Scottish Thistles with the World Cup qualifiers in January closely followed by the Commonwealth games in April. Gibbons knows how important the first few months of the new year is for the team and is keen that she and her compatriots use this weekend’s double-header to sharpen up and ensure they are at their peak come January.

“We played so well at Netball Europe and we were all really encouraged by our performances,” she said. “The World Cup qualifiers are huge for us but ultimately, it’s all leading up to the Commonwealth Games in April. Having this test series will be great – it’s come at a really good time for us and it being at home is brilliant because we’ll get some great support.”

Gibbons reached the grand final of last year’s Netball Superleague with Loughborough but the pull of a return home to sign for UWS Sirens and join up with her Scotland teammates was too strong.

“Part of my decision to sign for Sirens was because of what the team are all about – they’re empowering women and promoting women’s sport in a different way,” she said.

“And for me personally, it really made sense for me to be up here, playing with other Scottish girls week in, week out - I think that will make such a difference. Having so many of the Scottish squad as a part of Sirens means we are training together constantly and so hopefully that will show in the national team’s performances.”

Gibbons has only recently transformed into an international netball player having spent a number of years as an elite high jumper. the switch from an individual sport to a team one has not always been easy but it is a decision she is confident is the best thing she could ever have done.

And with UWS Sirens, who finished in sixth position in the 2017 Superleague, constantly improving, Gibbons is hugely optimistic about the future of netball in Scotland.

“We have quite a young Scottish squad so to think what we can do when we gain even more experience and get more exposure to this top level - it’s just so exciting,” she said.

“We’re all feeling really positive about this busy spell we’ve got coming up and I really feel like good things are ahead for us.”