'I wear an Ipswich shirt on Saturday and Norwich shirt Sunday'

Norwich City Women's Eloise King, centre, grew up an Ipswich fan, so how does she find it playing for their bitter rivals? [Jamie Niblock/ BBC] The passion and intensity of the East Anglian Derby returns with plenty on the line, as hosts Norwich City eye a late Championship play-off push and Ipswich Town chase automatic promotion. For supporters, it brings a mixture of nerves and excitement, but a guaranteed disdain for the opposition in the quest for bragging rights.

But for Norwich City Women's player Eloise King, who was born and raised an Ipswich Town fan, loyalties will be split on Saturday. So how does the 24-year-old, from Sudbury in Suffolk, and her Ipswich-loving parents Tracey and Chris, juggle bleeding Town blue while representing City's yellow and green? Central midfielder King kicked her first football aged three.

She was an Ipswich Town academy product, playing close to 100 times for the Tractor Girls. She left in February 2025 for Essex club Hashtag United, and joined the Canaries at the start of this season, during which the National League Division One South East side have gone on to secure a promotion play-off place. If victorious, they will move into the third tier of the women's pyramid.

"I have passion in different ways for both clubs," said King, who also represented England from under-15 to under-19 level. "I play for Norwich and I'm loving life there, and almost feel at home there. But, I've been blue since I was really, really young.