Photo credit: Denver Summit FC
35-year old has past NWSL experience and won trophies at Manchester City under Nick Cushing
Denver Summit FC’s back-line depth and wealth of experience just got another bolster.
The club announced Saturday that it signed former Liverpool F.C. Women’s center back Gemma Bonner to a deal through the end of the 2026 season after her contract expired at the end of last month.
The Leeds native has a cabinet full of trophies, including back-to-back Women’s Super League titles with Liverpool in 2013 and 2014 as the team’s captain. She won the Women’s Premier League in 2010 with her hometown club, Leeds United. In 2019, she was on the England squad which won the SheBelieves Cup. In total, she’s earned 12 caps with the senior England national team.
She played for four years under Summit FC coach Nick Cushing at Manchester City, where they won two FA Cups and a Women’s League Cup together.
“We’re thrilled to bring in a proven winner with this level of experience,” Summit FC General Manager Curt Johnson said in a statement. “She’s competed in multiple leagues and consistently found ways to make an impact wherever she’s been. That kind of veteran presence is invaluable—not just for what she’ll contribute on the field, but for the example she’ll set in the locker room. We’re excited to have her as part of our organization.”
Bonner became Liverpool’s all-time leader in appearances when she rejoined the club in 2023. She’s since amassed 177 appearances in her career for the Reds.
Between her stints at City and her return to Liverpool, she played NWSL ball for Racing Louisville, which took ninth place in the league in each of the 2021 and 2022 seasons. There were 10 and 12 teams in the league in those years, respectively.
Her usage at Liverpool dipped in her final year there, but her stats in 2024-25 as a 34-year old were impressive. At her position, she was in the top quartile of the WSL in defensive contributions (178), tackles (31), interceptions (19) and blocked shots (12), all in just 19 games.
She was also top of the line in possession that season with a 100% dribble rate, 87 successful duels and 30 touches inside the opponent’s box, all of which ranked in the top 10% of the league at her position. She was automatic in the air, winning 47 aerial duels at an above-average 66.2% rate.
She’ll join an already vastly experienced group of center backs which now averages around 28.5 years of age and combines for well over 500 professional club appearances.
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