Cardwell relishing her Manchester Thunder return for the 2026 season

Blackpool netball star Eleanor Cardwell is relishing being back on home soil after announcing her return to the UK from Australia.

- by Sports Reporter

Cardwell will play again for Manchester Thunder in 2026, following three years in Australia with the Adelaide Thunderbirds and Melbourne Mavericks.

Having helped Adelaide to claim the Suncorp Super Netball Premiership trophy in her first year, the 30-year-old then moved to the newly-formed Melbourne club for the 2024 season.

However, she sustained a knee injury in October 2024 which required two operations in the space of six months and kept her out of the 2025 campaign.

She now returns to the Thunder, whom she helped to an undefeated season in 2022 before heading Down Under.

Cardwell told Thunder's website: "Being back on British soil is an incredible feeling as I've really missed home.