“It’s like a breath of fresh air,” said Aston Villa’s Missy Bo Kearns, speaking at the Barclays Women’s Super League media day after leaving her childhood club.
Born and bred in Merseyside, the midfielder spent fifteen years rising through the ranks at Liverpool, eventually becoming one of the club’s most iconic players – but she candidly admitted that “last season, I maybe didn’t play as much as I’d have liked to.”
Kearns’ move to the Midlands was officially confirmed on August 1, and having spent more than a month in Birmingham alongside her new head coach, Robert de Pauw, the 23-year-old expressed: “I’ve loved every minute so far.”
“When I spoke to Robert, his plans and playing style suited me and what I want to achieve,” she added, going on to admit that she “didn’t make the decision overnight – but I went with my gut and so far, I feel like I’ve made a great decision.”
“I just want to get back to the level that I’ve shown in previous years. I want to try to create and score as many goals as possible and help the team.”
Embed from Getty Images“Obviously, I want to develop and try and break into the England squad. There have been times where I’ve done well for the U23s and I’ve been close but at club, I wasn’t doing it. I want to keep fighting and working hard – my goal hasn’t changed on that,” the midfielder explained.
Her first opportunity to shine will come on Friday night, as the Villans head to Kingsmeadow to face Chelsea in a 19:00 kick-off. The reigning champions have undergone a summer transformation too, with Sonia Bompastor replacing Emma Hayes in the dugout, and Kearns suggested that “there’s no better way to start the season.”
“They are the games that we dream of, being on TV and playing against a team like Chelsea,” she continued.
“They’ve got a really talented squad and they have done for numerous years. If I look back at my time at Liverpool, there were years where we beat them. It doesn’t matter what names are on the team sheet, they’re all talented but so is every player that plays in the WSL. It’s a 90 minute game of football and anything can happen.”
Chelsea host Aston Villa on Friday, 20 September with kick-off scheduled for 19:00 UK. You’ll be able to follow that match and hear the managers’ reactions right here on FromTheSpot.
