Rachel Williams has said that competing at the top level is “what we’re here for” as Manchester United prepare for another campaign in the Barclays Women’s Super League.
The Red Devils finished fifth last time out, rounding off the season with a damning 6-0 loss against title-winners Chelsea at Old Trafford, but a 4-0 FA Cup final triumph over Tottenham Hotspur just one week prior bagged them their first major trophy since their inception in 2018.
Williams touched on the importance of finding consistency, saying: “How can we go into an FA Cup final, but then we go into the last game of the season, and it’s two totally different games?”
“We just know that this year, we will compete, we will fight, we’re Manchester United. It’s what we’re here for.”
Manchester United will return to the Theatre of Dreams on the opening weekend of the 2024/25 season to host West Ham, which Williams sees as a perfect opportunity to write the wrongs of last year’s final day blues.
“I like the fact we’re going back there because, for me, those feelings on that last day are still very raw,” she said.
“No matter what team it is, we now know that we have to go there and perform the way we know we can and let the fans leave happy knowing, ‘that’s a good start for us'”.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe 36-year-old, who got herself on the scoresheet in United’s FA Cup final victory, is looking forward to kicking things off for yet another season in the top flight.
“For me, it’s just another year where I think ‘I’m a little bit older’, but I still feel no different to when the WSL first started, so I am excited,” Williams said.
“I just get that voice and feeling as if I’m one of the youngsters that has been promoted from the academy, to come in every season that we do, I just enjoy it.”
“There’s nothing better than that feeling – even in training, but especially on a match day – of putting on the shirt”.
Since joining the club back in 2022 – the seventh of her illustrious career – she has netted nine goals in 38 appearances.
Manchester United boss Marc Skinner, whom Williams played under during her spell at Birmingham City, described the veteran as a club icon back in May, to which the striker humbly joked: “If he wants to give me that title, I’ll take it!”
She went on to add: “If he had said in women’s football, I could be, but I’d still be shy and embarrassed by it.”
The Red Devils are back in WSL action on Saturday, 21st September, with kick-off scheduled for 12:30 BST.
