Kenni Thompson may have to pay some excess baggage on her return to Bermuda this summer after picking up a number of medals for Bournemouth this season.

Thompson was part of Bournemouth’s double-winning side that were crowned FA Women's National League Division One South West champions and followed up by lifting their first FA Women's National League Plate by beating Cheltenham Town 3-2.

The Bermudian scored in the cup final last month and also picked up the player of the match award to cap a fantastic season for the club.

“The cups were something that we were focused on outside of winning the league and getting promoted,” Thompson said.

“We still wanted to focus on those and stay in them as long as we could so getting to the final was a really big thing. For us to then go and beat a team from the league above us, the league we’re going into next season, was a really great feeling and a great day for us. I’m always happy to chip in with a goal but really I was just happy about getting the win.”

Bournemouth have been nearly faultless on the pitch for the past two seasons, remaining unbeaten during the 2023-24 campaign but missing out on promotion on goal difference. That disappointment only served to drive the players on to greater heights and they sealed their spot in the higher division with four games remaining this time around.

“We all have a belief in ourselves and had a goal to get promoted both this season and last season, but we knew we had to be pretty much perfect,” she said.

“Last year we were up against a pretty good side in Exeter and we weren’t able to beat them to the title, so going into this season it wasn’t about just winning a lot of games, we had to be perfect and strive for that perfection.

“It meant winning every game and not just going unbeaten. When we sealed the title, we had won all of our games and were crowned champions. What we took most from last season was the importance of keeping things in our own hands and that’s what got us there.”

Confidence among the squad is now soaring with the cup-final win over Cheltenham proving that they are capable of holding their own against better opposition.

“We’ve been striving for a level that was higher than what we’ve been playing at this season,” Thompson said.

“So I feel we’re already in a place where we’ll do well in that division but it’s still a work in progress and we don’t want to just go into next season trying to survive. We want to compete and that’s what we’re going to do. To beat a team from that division in the cup final is testament to us and shows that we’re on the right track.”

Although the season contained plenty of highs, Thompson did have to contend with a number of injuries and confesses that spending time on the sidelines can take a mental toll.

“I’ve been unlucky with injuries this season,” she said.

“That’s a part of football unfortunately, but I’ll be spending all of my pre-season dealing with the injuries, recovering and building my strength in order to stay fit next season.

“When I’ve been able to get on the pitch, I’ve been happy to contribute but there weren’t as many goals as the season before.

“It’s not easy being injured, especially as I’m out here on my own. I don’t have family around me and I live on my own, so it was a very difficult period to go through. I’ve got some good people around me within the club that have helped me to keep my head straight and focused on recovery as opposed to focusing on what I’ve been missing out on. They have been great at helping me to get back out on the pitch and then performing well once I got there.”

Thompson is looking forward to spending time at home this summer and is hoping she will be fully fit to play for Bermuda in the Island Games in July.

“I’ll be home soon within the next month and it will be a good time to disconnect from football a little bit, while focusing on my recovery,” she said.

“I’ll be able to spend a little time with family and give myself a chance to regroup for next season. The aim is to get back and be with the national team for the Island Games, but first I have to be fit for that. Building back my fitness, recovering well and finding strength is not only important for Bournemouth next season but for the national team as well.”