London Bees head coach Julian Broomes has begun the task of re-shaping his squad ahead of the club's second season in the Women's Super League by re-signing ten players.

After a tough maiden season in the Women's Super League Two, in which they finished bottom with eight points from 18 games, Broomes has opted to retain ten members of last season's squad.

Sophie Harris, Billie Brookes, Chontele Lawrence, Aoife Hurley, Paige Wakefield, Rebecca Anderson, Paul Howells, Amber Gaylor, Lucy Loomes and Sydney Hinchcliffe will all remain at The Hive after the options on their contracts were taken up.

Speaking to the club's website about his decision, Broomes said: "2014 was our inaugural season and it was a tough one, there is no doubt about that. But these players have shown me throughout that they have the qualities and desire to fight back in this league.

"I arrived late on in the 2014 season, which meant that I had no choice but to quickly gauge players in terms of both their ability and their attitude, and these ten really stood out for me."

He continued: "It’ll be a mix. I’ve said a few times that the London Bees are looking to recruit some new players and that definitely stands true, but this retained group shows us that there is still a pool of talent already within the team and we are keen to tap into that.

"The off-season still requires a lot of work for us to be ready for March and ensure that we are at the right end of the table but I am delighted with how preparations have gone so far and am looking forward to building on our good work up until this point."