Women’s football: Happy birthday Danielle Alice Barnfield – 22 today !

Today is the 22nd birthday of a talented footballer who has won a host of honours representing the town of Caernarfon.

Born on November 16, 1998, Danielle Alice Barnfield has experienced the joy of lifting the Welsh Cup and being part of a North Wales League title-winning team.

Danielle’s skills first developed as a youngster attending ‘Kick It’ sessions after school in Y Felinheli

In 2013-14, aged 15 she captained Caernarfon Under-16s to a magnificent quadruple.

The highlight was winning the FAW Under-16 Girls Welsh Cup Final in Newtown.

Caernarfon beat Llanyrafon 2-0 with goals from Lois Regan and Nel Huws.

Danielle admitted herself she did not have the best of games and came off with cramp in the second half, but she made awesome contributions to the team’s other successes.

Squad which won the Welsh Cup final: Ffion Williams, Ffion Bee, Leonie Prydderch, Gemma Thomas, Elain Evans, Lois Regan, Chloe Hughes (Awen Pritchard 70), Danielle Barnfield (Llinos Jones 68), Alaw Huws (Cara Owen 52), Nel Huws, Heledd Evans. Unused Substitutes: Catrin Hughes, Rebecca Brown.

That season Caernarfon also won the North Wales Girls Under-16 League title, the league cup and Darwin Cup under Dei Pritchard and Gwynfor Evans.

During this period, Danielle was selected for a Wales national training camp, represented the NWCFA League at junior level and played for the regional development team (North Wales).

Her ability to read the game and range of passing made her a stand-out performer and she soon became a key member of the Caernarfon Town senior ladies side.

In 2015-16, the then 17-year-old was in the squad which landed the Betty Pickering Cup.

Then in 2016-17, Danielle was involved in another amazing campaign for Caernarfon Town.

This time the Cofis stormed to the North Wales Women’s League title, winning 18 out of 20 matches and scoring 120 goals while conceding just 13.

Town made it a double by retaining the Betty Pickering Cup. Danielle contributed nine goals in all competitions.

Caernarfon were promoted to the Welsh Premier Women’s League and Danielle enjoyed her first taste of top flight football.

She performed well, but after a difficult first season, the Canaries resigned early in the 2018-19 campaign due to a lack of resources.

Danielle returned to football last season with North Wales League Division Two side Mountain Rangers and scored five goals, including a hat-trick at Penrhyn Bay.

With Rangers having disbanded in the summer, it is yet to be confirmed who Danielle will represent in the 2020-21 season.