Sunderland have today confirmed that attacking midfielder Maria Farrugia has signed a new one-year deal with the club.
The 20-year-old Maltese international joined The Lady Black Cats in 2019 and she has played her part in the club obtaining a promotion to the FA Women’s Championship via the upward movement application process.
Farrugia made 23 FA Women’s National League North appearances for Sunderland in the last two seasons while she has provided a real attacking threat, scoring six goals.
After securing the player’s services for another year, Sunderland manager Melanie Reay said “I am delighted to have Maria back with us. She is a player of real quality who provides us with great attacking threat, and I look forward to working with her again this season.”
Farrugia represented the Maltese national team at various youth levels before making her senior debut for the nation in an 8-0 defeat to Denmark in August 2019. The player went on to feature in all 10 of her side’s qualifying matches for the UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 as Malta ended in fourth place in their group behind Denmark, Italy and Bosnia-Herzegovina.
With Sunderland set to return to life in the second tier and Malta’s FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia New Zealand 2023 qualification campaign to begin in September, Farrugia will be hoping for a successful season for both club and country.