Club: Nottingham Forest
Position: Forward
Price: £5.0m
Looking for a budget forward who will allow you to be able to afford Alessia Russo AND Khadija Shaw? A player who has the potential to provide your team with plenty of points as well?
Do you want a differential option who may help you steal an advantage over your fellow Fantasy Players?
Look no further – Shania Hayles is in the House (Forest!)
A proven goal scorer
Hayles has joined Nottingham Forest after an underwhelming final season at Newcastle United. Like the Magpies, Hayles struggled for consistency in her performances and found her game time limited, particularly in the second half of the season.
For this reason, Fantasy players may not see the Jamaica international as an option which makes her an ideal differential choice.
Her goal scoring record in the Women’s second tier cannot be ignored. In the 2024-2025 season, she scored 15 goals in 19 games, coming second in the golden boot race. In total, she has scored 29 goals in 57 games in the Championship/BWSL2.
Hayles has been part of two sides who have won promotion to the BWSL, helping Aston Villa and Bristol City to reach the topflight in 2019-2020 and 2022-2023 respectively. Still just 26, she will bring plenty of winning experience to The Tricky Trees.
Forest’s missing piece?
New Forest manager Tom Mallinson was quick to praise Hayles work rate and desire to “get on the scoresheet as much as possible”. The new boss has been drilling his players on quick ball movement this summer, which will suit Hayles down to the tee.
Hayles biggest strengths are her speed and ability to run beyond defenders. Former manager Becky Langley described her as a “great finisher”. Players who score the most points in Fantasy Football are the ones who play in teams that suits their strengths.
Hayles and Forest feel like a good fit. Last season Forest ranked fifth in the league for big chances created (38) and third for big chances missed (23). They ranked joint eighth for goals scored (27) and clearly missed a killer instinct up front.
The Reds also ranked third for accurate long passes per match (24.4). A repeat of this performance could provide plenty of chances for Hayles to get behind defences to score and rack up her Fantasy points.
2025-2026 at a glance
- Goals: 2
- Assists: 1
- Appearances: 16
- Starts: 9
- Shots: 14
- Shots on target: 6
- Yellow cards: 1
Kind fixtures to start
Forest have a favourable start to the season, with Southampton and Newcastle, the only top-half finishers from last season's BWSL2 among their first six opponents. They also have home games against newly promoted Watford and Burnley.
These games could give Hayles plenty of time to get among the goals and Fantasy points before the end of October. She will certainly be in my starting line up when Fantasy launches next week.
- Ipswich Town (A) – Sunday 6th September
- Watford (H) – Sunday 13th September
- Durham (A) – Sunday 20th September
- Southampton (A) – Sunday 27th September
- Burnley (H) – Sunday 4th October
- Newcastle United (H) – Sunday 25th October
