The Olympic hockey gold medallist owns part of the Anfield bench – and adores Steve McManaman
Lewis Watson
EXCLUSIVE INTERVI EW
Which was the first football game that you ever attended?
A testimonial at Anfield for Ronnie Moran, the former Liverpool captain and caretaker manager. It was in the summer of 2000 and I think that Erik Meijer scored a couple of times. I still have the ticket. We were able to go thanks to the football team I played for at the time – it was pretty last minute, but we were at the top of the Kop, which was amazing.
What do you like most about going to a match as a spectator?
Everything. I love the feeling of walking to the ground and that pre-match routine of where to meet, what to eat – I go for curry and chips on the corner – and what I’m going to wear. It’s amazing how everyone comes together from different jobs, religions and backgrounds, all to unite behind a football team. It’s such a special place.
Who was your childhood hero and did you ever meet them?
My hero was Steve McManaman and my twin brother’s was Robbie Fowler. After we got home from school, we’d play football in the garden pretending to be those two – I’d be shouting, “McManaman’s running down the wing, crosses to Fowler and GOOOAAAL, Liverpool score!” I just thought he was class. I got to meet him when I started working for LFC TV in 2016, and he was so nice. I bump into him sometimes still – he’s proper sound.
What was your finest moment as a player?
[Laughs] This might seem pretty sad, but I went to one of those summer soccer camps with a friend and felt like a bit of a tag-along. I was the only girl there, so I made sure I tried extra hard and ended up winning the ‘most improved’ award at the end of the week. I was made up about that.
Later on, you were on Tranmere Rovers’ books. Was it a tough decision between football and hockey?
I played football before hockey – until I was 11, I played for a boys’ team, but after that I had to move over to a girls’ team, as mixed teams weren’t allowed. Playing for the boys’ team helped me, though – I had to be much quicker with the ball to avoid getting clattered! I moved to Tranmere after that as they were one of only two sides on the Wirral with women’s teams, but one of the midweek training sessions clashed with hockey. That meant I had to miss a session each week, which started going against me – I was starting games on the bench. I chose hockey because I just wasn’t getting the game time with Tranmere – I was already playing for England Under-16s at hockey, so that sort of made my
