#FA Cup and League Cup goals

[rahimi10]

MATCHDAY LIVE CLUB WORLD CUP FINAL 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 | Man City v Fluminese

Natalie Pike is joined by Shaun Wright-Phillips, Nedum Onuoha and Steph Houghton as Man City face Fluminese in the Club World Cup Final in Jeddah

Full Video

[chelseajackarmy]

Once upon a time at Chelsea FC

[pernillecfcw]

Our number8️⃣🥶

[gitzette]

Witness Erling Haaland Manchester City's stunning performance in their FA Cup victory! 🌟 Dive into an unforgettable night filled with historic goals and tactical mastermind moves that catapulted them into the quarter-finals. Don't miss out on the full story of their pursuit of glory! #ErlingHaaland #FACup #FootballMagic

[enwoso]

CRUSHED! — alessia russo

bit of a longer one for you all<3 this will probably turn into a mini series (about 3-4 parts)

navigation

manchester united women v arsenal women.

an important fixture for you and the rest of the manchester united squad as this would ensure the teams lead in the table, in the race for champions league football next season. something you and the rest of the girls longed to play especially having just missed out by a margin the season before.

you were determined to ensure that you and the team got into europe — having dreamt of playing the high level of football since you were little.

something even more exciting for you is that you were in, incredible form at the moment scoring goals left right and centre or as some of the news reporters would phrase it as saying you couldn't stop scoring!

confidence was flowing through every inch of your body and rightly so, you had six goals in the last four games one of them goals even helping man united progress further into the fa cup.

everything was going to way you wanted, you were playing excellent football at the moment who can was hopefully going to secure your place in the england team for the upcoming world cup in the summer. your relationship with alessia was only growing stronger as you were about to hit your two year anniversary.

you could happily say that you were in a good place, quite literally physically but also mentally.

"how long do we have till kick off?" you asked turning to your girlfriend who was finishing re-lacing her bright orange boots. "um about 15 minutes why?" less said looking up to the walling seeing the clock was about to reach the hour 7.

"just wondering" you shrugged, loosening yourself up and scooting closer to the blonde leaning your head on her shoulder. as she sat back up her arm stretching togo across your shoulder as the familiar smell of vanilla taking over your senses.

the two of you sat in each others company, not talking just watching as the rest of the team talked among themselves. just as marching came in to give his usual team talk and to help lift any spirits even more before it was time to walk out.

"-just go out and bring home them 3 points!" marc finished as the changing room filled with a cheer as everyone took off their warmup jumpers as it was time to walk.

"i love you" you smiled pecking alessia on the lips, a tradition they did before every match, "i love you too" alessia responded as the two of you did your little hand shake you'd both came up with one night while being in a hotel room before the blonde pulled you for one last quick but tight hug.

alessia wondered off up towards the front of the line taking her place in between millie and nikita as you strayed towards the back. taking your place as always just behind tooney.

"you ready baller?" ella smiled turning around to your direction, you rolling your eyes playfully at the new nickname ella had began to call you over the past few weeks.

"always." you whispered, patting ella on the back to signal to her to begin moving in order to keep up with the rest of the team who were now walking through the tunnel and out onto the pitch.

the teams walked out, hand in hand with the mascots as the teams lined up, arsenal on the right and man united on the left. once all the photos were done, shaking hands with the arsenal players before going off into the half that they would be starting.

"let's play our best girls!" katie said as you all done the usually team huddle, putting your hands in the middle and cheering before everyone went to their starting positions.

you were thankfully playing your usual and much preferred position of the left wing, with alessia in the middle leading the line and parris on the right wing.

the referee blowing the whistle and the game was under way.

3' BLOCK! chances at both ends for both teams. walti lets fly from a distance but zelem put in a strong block. at the other end, y/n is nearly played through by parris but zinsberger rushes off her line to clear into touch.

6' WIDE! russo with her first shot of the game! y/n scampers down the wing and while walti dispossesses the cutback to zelem, the loose ball is able to fall to the lionesses striker. russo let's fly first but it's wayward — she had more time to shoot then she thought.

the game so far is going the way you wanted it too, manchester united in the opening minutes were playing better, were playing better football. you'd even had a few chances to get to the box unfortunately non of them able to get the shot in due to arsenals tight defence playing their part.

manchester united back on the attack again, the ball building from the back passed to zelem from blundell, arsenals midfield covering zelem as she sells you a short pass up to the wing.

loosing the ball momentarily to maanum as you overstretch a move you must have done a million times before in hopes of getting the ball across to alessia as she was in a big space with nobody covering her and had the opportunity to open the score line.

however the overstretch left you feeling a pop, following a sharp pain in your knee. the ball had already been hit forwards, not seeing if it reached your girlfriend you fell to the ground knee in clutch.

face planting into the grass as you waved your hand in the air, tears bubbling in your eyes at the sudden pain you were feeling. .

"y/n!" you hear ella as she comes rushing over, the midfielder being more worried for her teammate then whatever was happening higher up the pitch. the manchurian ushering the medics on the sidelines to come on and help you — the game however was still in play. "are you okay?"

12' problems for manchester united, y/n is down and looks to be in real pain. the red devils can't afford for their star girl to be injured at the moment. the lioness looks close to tears — this could be a serious problem ahead of the world cup.

the whistle finally blown as the referee stops the game waving over for the medics to come over, alessia is quick to rush over. panic setting in for the blonde seeing her girl down for so long without moving comfortably.

"what happened love?" alessia asked quickly as the medics began to assess you over trying to find the extent of the injury.

you shrugged, "dunno but it's my knee" dragging your hands over your face fighting back the tears which were bubbling in your eyes out of shear pain but also annoyance that either way it was an injury and that meant a setback.

"can i continue?" you asked knowing exactly what the answer was going to be, but their could have been a small chance you could have however with the pain you were in it was definitely not a good idea for you to even if she was allowed.

"i think it's gonna be best for you to be subbed and then the medical team can properly check you out" one of the medics told you as you nodded slowly, the feeling of a hand moving your loose hairs out of your face, turning to see who it was only to be met with a sad smile from your girlfriend.

"it's okay, your gonna be fine" alessia whispers as she took a place next to you holding your hand to try and comfort you and try and help take some of the pain away.

14' the stretcher is out, it's not looking good for the forward. this could be serious. the replay shows there is no contact to y/n on the right knee but she did go down holding it.

"no! no, i'll walk off!" you protested at the sight of the bright orange stretcher being brought towards you, alessia giving you a stern look as if to say 'do what the medics are telling you'

but both of you knowing that they would only ever have the players best interest at heart but alessia also knew you like the back of hand and how stubborn you were and to know if you say you are doing something then that's would be exactly what was happening.

"are you sure your able to?" the medic asked, you nodding as the team along with alessia all helped to get you to your feet.

alessia's arms wrapped around the small of your back as you clung onto the side of the blonde limping off the pitch, a medic at your other side as the stadium erupted into cheer and applause for you.

you were handed over to another member of the medical team, leaving the blonde's arms but as you began to slowly move towards the tunnel you notice your girlfriend beginning to follow you. "less, what are you doing? you need to carry on playing!" you choked out.

"that can wait.." the blonde whispered grabbing your hand in hers.

"no? you need to play less!" you let go of alessia's hand placing your hand on her cheek pulling her closer and pecking her lips quickly, "now go and score for me, my love!" you whispered as your lips lingered near the blondes, a small smile appearing on her face, alessia nodded and with a little bit of hesitation headed back out towards the pitch.

the medic team taking you slowly deeper into the stadium, as you limped towards the medical room. you finding yourself lying on the bed as they began their assessment to determine the extent of your injury.

25 minutes felt like hours to you as you watched the senior medic write down on a clip board as they compared the injured knee to your normal knee. the injured knee a lot more swelled and puffy than your normal knee.

the soft sound of the crowd above you was able to be heard as they cheered and chanted for the teams playing. wishing you were up there instead of lying hopelessly on a bed.

the only helpful thing you could do was answer the medics questions like "on a scale of one to ten, one being the worst, what is the pain right now?"

"okay, so i've ran all the assessments i'm able to do here with the equipment i have and i'm sorry to tell you but you have indeed ruptured your anterior cruciate ligament or as you may know it as your ACL" the medic told you

your chest suddenly felt heavy as you let out a breathe that you didn't even know that you were holding in. your eyes closing trying not to let the tears fall as your head hit the back of the bed you were currently lying on.

taking another deep breathe as the news settled, your mind racing that this isn't the minor injury she initially expected it to be.

"how- how long am i out for then?" you asked, those seven words not being used frequently in your footballing career.

the longest you had ever been out from football was two weeks for a concussion after going to header the ball into the back of the net but while doing so also crashing into another player at the same time and that was when you were 16.

"um your probably looking at 9-12 months, i'm afraid" the medic placed the clipboard down as you nodded slowly — this was going to be the most challenging thing you ever going to face.

"oh" was the only words you were able to find.

"as for right now the only thing i can do is bandage it just to keep the knee straight and i would also suggest that you don't put any unnecessary pressure on it, ice it to help with swelling and then when your able to see a doctor tomorrow they'll go through the next stages with you" they explained as you whispered a small 'okay'

the realisation of the injury was really beginning to set in as you watched the medic bandage the knee. your dreams of being at a world cup were slowly slipping away with each wrap of the bandage.

the medic began to run through your notes and everything they had looked at but if you were being honest it all just went in one ear and out the other.

the medic gave you some crutches, encouraging you to use them to avoid putting any weight on it before helping you to your feet and up back towards the field to enjoy the match — well what was left of it on the sidelines.

as the medic helped you back towards the pitch you found it was full time, stopping just outside the man united changing room, the team all being on their way back to the locker room to get showered.

you were met with lots of sorry looks and sympathy from both the man united girls but also the arsenal girls, lots of them being your teammates at england, as you stood back pressed to wall letting them all go past considering they were all going to be a lot faster than you were.

seeing afar alessia rushing, her eyes set on what was in front of her as she walked beside ella as she chatted the blondes ear off. the blonde about to walk straight past you as you grabbed the side of her shirt pulling alessia to the side as best as she could without loosing her balance.

"wh- oh! hi love, how bad?" alessia asked her facial features softened at the sight of her girlfriend, a guess to the answer of her question as she stared down at the crutches that were currently holding you up.

"bad."

the strikers face formed a pout as she pulled you in for a side hug, a few sniffles beginning to come from you. alessia hushing you softly, as she brushed your hair back out of your face.

"shh, it's going to be okay baby" alessia cooed as she placed gentle kisses onto your forehead. "we'll get through this together, okay" alessia pulled you closer to her rubbing her arm up and down your back.

"what was the score?" you asked as you lifted your head to rest on the blondes chest, chocking back on the tears which were flowing down your flushed cheeks.

a small smile appearing on alessia's face as she shook her head in disbelief that you'd gone off injured and what you were most worried about was what the full time score was?

"it's 2 - 0 to us" alessia whispered as a big sigh came from you as you nodded for the blonde to carry on wanting to know who had scored, "oh um keets and me scored"

"that's my girl!" you mumbled placing a small kiss to her cheek before letting go of the blonde as you steadied yourself.

“you coming?” alessia asked as she pointed towards the changing room, you have a small smile as you began to turn on the crutches, a little wobbly as you were still getting used to hoping on one leg.

"love, i'll get on my back and i’ll give you a piggy back" alessia began as she was back right by your side, you stopping dead still looking towards the blonde.

“baby, i love and appreciate you but you have two left feet i really don’t fancy having a broken arm!” you laughed a little the blonde gasping a little at your bluntness but never the less taking one of your crutches in your hand.

“i won’t drop you, i promise!” she pleaded, as you gave into her, the blonde giving you a piggy back into the changing room. as you praying to the lord above that she wouldn’t drop you.

getting into the changing room most girls were buzzing off the win, some were in the showers and others were just looking forward to go to sleep. alessia sitting you down on the bench next to both yours and her little cubby, pecking you on the lips as she hurried to get into the showers not wanting to keep you waiting for ages.

you watched on as people walked past you as you sat feeling pretty much helpless. watching on with envy as everyone else moved around the room freely while you couldn’t even move from the bench properly without being in a large amount of pain.

you couldn’t get up and join in with the silly antics of ella and mary as they danced around the room just like every win the team had, you couldn’t tie your shoe laces which had come undone and you couldn’t even bend down to pick up your bag from under the bench.

you felt useless.

“love? tesoro?” alessia said softly but there was no reply from you as you stared off into the distance, tears building up in your eyes for not the first time today.

“gorgeous? are you okay?” alessia repeated herself this time waving a hand across your face, finally getting your attention as you blinked head shaking to pull you out of your trance.

you noticed that the changing room was empty now, it was just you and less left. you looked to your girlfriend humming, you had no idea what she had said.

“are you okay?” she asked once again as you hummed nodding your head, a clear indication to the blonde that you were far from. alessia sighed moving your crutches which were slumped next to you onto the floor.

“what’s bothering that pretty mind of yours” she asked as you slumped your head against her, your cheeks feeling wet as the tears fell.

“just watchin’ everyone. i feel so useless. i can’t even pick my bag up for fuck sake!” you choked out in a whisper, maybe this was the anger that you had kept in the past hour. the reality of your injury really hitting you.

“oh baby” alessia whispered moving your face to face hers as she cupped your face, wiping your tears away with her thumb. “your the strongest person i know, you’ll get through this and you’ll come back from it better than ever” alessia reassured you, wiping another tear that rolled down your cheek before it hit your chin.

“what if i can’t?” you whispered your bottom lip wobbling. you were scared for the next few months, how different it was going to be.

“you will! and i’ll be here for you every step of the way, okay?” alessia gave you a small smile as you nodded a little.

“i love you”

“i love you too” she kissed your forehead as you rested your head on her chest listening to her heartbeat.

it was going to be a long nine months.

liked by alessiarusso and 942,135 others

manutdwomen we can now confirm that y/n l/n has suffered a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament against arsenal on wednesday night.

y/n was substituted in the first half of the game at leigh sports village and underwent further assessment on thursday to determine the extent of the injury.

y/n will now begin a period of rehabilitation and is set for an extended spell on the sidelines. she will undergo surgery in due course. everyone at manchester united will be supporting y/n closely throughout the long journey ahead and we would ask that her privacy is respected at this time.

comments —

arsenalwfc we are gutted for you y/n — wishing you all the best with your recovery❤️

3h        210 likes     reply

ellatoone the baller will be back before we know it!

2h        245 likes     reply

lionesses we are with you, y/n! ❤️❤️

2h        136 likes     reply

alessiarusso she’ll be back stronger ❤️

1h        195 likes     reply

leahwilliamson wishing all the best with her recovery❤️

1h       174 likes     reply

[totaly-obsessed]

Thank you Vivianne Miedema

Thank you for all you have done at Arsenal.

1x FA Women's Super League Champion.

3x FA Women's League Cup Winner.

102 Games.

79 Goals.

Most goals scored in league's history.

Most goals in a single season: 22.

Most goals in a single game: 6.

First player involved in 100 goals.

First player to score against all clubs.

A Legend.

[trulyhblue]

Home Away From Home

Lauren Hemp x Aussie! Reader

Warnings: fluff, but awkward.

A/N — I know Caroline Weir scored the two goals in the Man City game that I talk about, but I've changed it a bit :)

Masterlist

______________________

Growing up in Australia was among the greatest privileges you had as a child.

Even in the midst of your career — a job you've dreamed of since you were little — your home soil was indescribable; nothing could beat the familiarity of home.

When the 2023 World Cup was announced to take place in Australia, you were feeling the effects of homesickness after six long months in Europe. You were signed by Manchester City at Nineteen, playing a critical midfield position after being a regular sub for your old club back in Australia. Your parents were sceptical of you leaving so early to such a big club. In no way were you prepared to face the challenges of adulthood as a whole other country, on the opposite side of the Earth.

You had only been playing for the Matildas for a couple of months when you were first signed to City, and it wasn't until the following year when your fellow Aussie teammates Alanna, and eventually Hayley and Mary, that you had the comfort of home to nurture you during rough patches.

Your family was your biggest supporter. Growing up, they sacrificed everything to meet the needs of their football journey. Your parents would leave early from work early to take you to training and surrender endless personal endeavours so that you could prosper in your dreams of going pro. You were very grateful for all that they had done, and as a result, their sacrifices became your motivation to be the best you could possibly be. You lived and breathed football. Everything revolved around football.

But when you moved to City, you found yourself stuck in a trance by a certain English Blonde.

For the most part, you kept to yourself at training. You didn't want to cause any trouble, and it seemed that most of the girls knew each other from youth squads, prior teams, or roommates at National Camps. You struggled to find your place in the squad at first. Being a relatively young team, you had lots of girls around your age, willing to be your friend, but the absence of home and lack of connection to the United Kingdom combined to make your personality shrink under a dismissive persona.

When Alanna joined City, you offered your apartment to her, having come from North London beforehand. Over the next months, you found comfort in the familiar Aussie accent, finding solace in the sliver of home you felt so distant to.

You still remained shy at training, trying hard and pushing out of your comfort zone every time someone had a conversation with you. Alanna found it hard to believe how introverted you were, having seen your confidence shine at Matilda’s Camps, and the Manchester Girls couldn't believe their ears when Alanna told them about how you were at home.

When Hayley came, you were smiling more. It wasn't that you weren't happy at City before the Australian girls arrived. You were thriving. In the 2020/21 season, you were dubbed as Young Player of The Year and had four ‘Player Of The Match’ awards under your belt. You worked extremely hard to make the starting eleven regularly, and people would often compliment your subtle but impressionable skills on the field. You weren't fast, but you were technical. You thought of the play that hadn't happened yet, shaping the game with unexpected yet calculated crosses. For two years, you had the second most assists in the WSL, merely missing Beth Mead.

In all honesty, the effects of having the reminder of home did help to boost your performance not only on the pitch but behind the scenes as well.

You can remember tapping your hands against the rim of your cubby, your home kit baggy on your figure. It was a very important game today — the final of the FA Women’s League Cup — against reigning champions Chelsea. You were starting, and your family had flown over to watch.

Your nerves upon walking out were tremendous. This was your first time starting in a final in the WSL. You don't remember a time you felt your hands shake this much. Alanna and Hayley were preparing for the match on either side of you, their faces impassive when both teams lined up in the tunnel of Cherry Rose Records Stadium.

Your heart was thumping out of your chest, palms sweating as you took your spot on the field.

When the whistle blew, you tuned everything out.

A powerful shot from Sam Kerr left Chelsea in the lead halfway through the first half. You tried hard to maneuver your way through the likes of Charles and Ingle, passing to Georgia and Keira as you struggled to pass Chelsea’s defence. Lucy was given a yellow which heightened the tension reeling in the stands. You buried the apprehensive bile rising in your stomach when the halftime whistle blew, signalling everyone to rush back to the changing rooms.

You placed your head in your hands, taking slow, desperate sips of your water bottle as you listened to the pep talks from all the players. Gareth Taylor, your manager, was shouting encouragement from across the room, staring into each and every one of your eyes, assuring the team that they could make a comeback.

“I want you to want this.” He said, circling the room with so much fervour that the room felt warmer. “I want to see the determination in your eyes. I want to see it in the tackles, the plays, the kicks, everything. The opportunities you making are good, they just need more precision.”

It was almost the start of the second half when Gareth asked for you, leading you over to the other side of the changing rooms, towards the shorter figure of one of your teammates.

Lauren looked just as nervous as you, but you hoped that you his your nerves a little better than her. Her blonde hair was held up in a pony, and small wisps of baby hairs framed her face after being exempted from the wind. She was a year older than you but has been in Manchester since 2018. Other than the odd, unusual sentence or two, neither of you had properly interacted.

Lauren looked up at you, her beady eyes locking with yours as she licked her lips, exchanging glances with the floor and you, awaiting the purpose of the conversation.

“I want you two to work together this half.” Your Manager urged. Both you and Lauren looked at him in surprise. He must've caught on since he held his hands up. “I know we haven't practised much between the two of you, I know. But Y/N, your crosses over the head of Chelsea defenders will inevitably shape up some opportunities for Hempo. Lauren, you know what to do when something comes up. I believe that truly, alright? Do you understand?”

You were still mulling over Gareth’s words when the whistle blew for the second half, but you felt an uncertain pair of eyes look out for where you kicked the ball. The surveillance of the English forward did not irk you. In fact, it pushed you to do as you were told.

It was two minutes in when an opportunity arose. You were given the ball by Alanna, who had pelted it away after a scary interaction with her and Kerr.

Gareth’s words played in your head, taunting you as the blonde’s eyes watched your actions intently. You were hesitant to do as he said. This was the one game your parents were here to see. Never once had they been to Europe, having not had the money to be able to fund both your football and fancy holidays overseas. You wanted to make them proud. You didn't want to risk such an important opportunity for it to go out or concede and let your team down.

You found Georgia and kicked it by her. She followed it up the middle of the field, passing it to one of your forwards, hand up in celebration when it went past the Goalie.

But for some reason, you couldn't find it in you to celebrate. You refused to meet the eyes of Lauren, who was no doubt throwing you a disappointed glance. You could feel the betrayal radiating in violent waves. You ran back to your starting position without a peep, determined to shake the guilt with another chance. You needed to win this game. You’d do whatever it took to do so.

Another goal from Ellen White led your team one in front, but it gave no comfort whatsoever in a game like this. If anything, it put the stakes higher. You hated penalties, the feeling of dread and anxiety filling you everything you watched each player attempt to concede. Even more so, you hated taking penalties. The possibility of that happening was enough to motivate you even more.

Guro Reiten was subbed off for Lauren James. A fresh pair of legs was dangerous coming up to the seventieth minute.

Chelsea was drawing closer and closer to equalizing with your second goal, causing an uprise in the tension between both the teams and the people watching. You grew more angsty when one of their attempts hit the crossbar, but when it landed near Keira’s feet, being shot past to where you stood, you knew this was now or never.

You sprinted down the wing with Georgia by your side, but you were only focused on the blonde in front of you.

“Here! Here!” Georgia screamed, holding out her hand to signal to you that she was ready. You contemplated it. There had been many times when Georgia had done that, and you had crossed the ball to her, and she had easily swished it past the goalie. You never doubted Georgia for a second, and you definitely knew she would've been able to shoot from where she was — she was clearly onside. But the Chelsea defenders had studied your gameplay back to front, and the same old cross to Georgia was something they had trained for — something you had trained for.

Something clicked in your mind when you met Lauren’s eyes. Something ignited inside of you. She must've felt it too, because she didn't even reach her hand up to signal towards you.

You both just knew what was happening. And that it would work. It had to work.

Without much thought, you kicked the ball to your right, watching as Chelsea gaped in alarm at the unsuspected pass and turn to and from Lauren.

You held your breath, stationery at the sight of Lauren’s risky attempts. She found a steady pace along the sideline stepping past Jess Carter, keeping her back turned to the goal. She used the back of her heel to trick both Carter and Berger. She had scored. Manchester City were winning 3-1.

You were the first to scream, a massive smile on your face as you ran towards Lauren, who spun to find you amidst the swarm of Chelsea players.

The two of you ran into each other with so much force that you both toppled to the ground, rolling around as the rest of your team piled on top of you.

The girls were screaming, you could hear the distant cheers of people in the stands. You heard Lauren’s exhausted huffs as you shovelled your head into her neck. Neither of you said anything. You both just had the silent agreement that what you did was game-changing, and that the non-existent relationship between you was no longer.

Despite the desperate attempts from the London team, the final whistle blew with the score maintaining a healthy lead. Your legs gave out as soon as the game ended, tears threatening to spill from your eyes and onto your cheeks as the weight of the season lifted from your shoulders. You felt a pair of arms lift you up, turning you around. The hug was only recently familiar, but tangible nonetheless.

Lauren held her arms around your waist, leaving you to collapse your arms over her shoulders. You watched her chest rise and fall, however, so slowly, a few choked sobs rang out from the older girl.

“I thought you weren't ‘gonna pass to me.” She said. You don't remember her ever speaking to you directly, but the attention made you blush.

“You could've gotten a double if I did.” You uttered, pulling her out of the hug. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be.” She replied, her cheeks also dusted pink. “I'm just glad it was your assist.”

You wondered if she was trying to make you flustered because you noticed how fidgety she got when you eyed her nervously.

“I mean like— I like you— wait, no, well— I like your assist-”

“Same. I mean— I'm glad you scored from my assist. Like— okay wait that doesn't make sense.”

“I get what you’re saying. That's what I meant.” Lauren muttered back, rubbing the back of her neck in embarrassment. “I wouldn't have wanted anyone else to assist me… in goals.”

“Yeah, same… in goals, yeah.”

Little did you know, your Aussie teammates Hayley and Alanna were standing next to Keira and Georgia, all overlooking the inept exchange between the two of you.

“God, you call that flirting.” Georgia laughed, the other three chuckling along. “Wouldn't want to see what their dates would look like.”

“Bloody painful, that's what.” Alanna sounded, taking a picture of the two of you.

“Wouldnt of expected anything different, to be honest. Both as awkward as each other.” Keira spoke.

And you were as awkward as each other, but that made for the perfect pair. A home away from home.

_____________________________

[basicallyblank]

Jordan Nobbs: The Unbreakable Footballer.

Jordan Nobbs was once one of the world's best. She was widely renouned for her passing, her pace, and her ability to find the back of the net, from anywhere on the pitch. One of England's brightest talents, she highlighted her dreams of playing in World Cups, Euro's, and her biggest dream of all, the Olympic Games. Jordan looked like England and Arsenal's midfield maestro for years to come, but things don't always work like they're supposed to.

Here's how one of the worlds best midfielders was brought back down to earth.

Jordan started the 2014 season on a high, it was her 4th season in the WSL, and her 4th as an Arsenal player. She'd long since carved out her starting spot, and was one of their best performing players. She played Arsenal's first 4 champions league matches, scoring 4 goals in 4 games, but then picked up a back injury. This left her out of the entirety of Arsenals victorious FA Cup campaign, and left Arsenal struggling at the bottom of the table.

This injury didn't deter her though, as by the end of the season, despite only playing 9 games, she'd score 5 goals, which made her joint top goalscorer that season, alongside Casey Stoney.

In her time out, her absense was noticable, Arsenal had only won 1 in their first 5 games. She was known for her intelligence on the pitch, and without her pulling the strings in midfield, the team suffered.

The 2015 season was important one, it was a World Cup year. The tournament was set to be held in Canada, and Jordan was one of England's best talents that was looking forward to showing what she could do on the worlds biggest stage.

Determined to make the final squad, Jordan slept with a picture of the 2015 World Cup plastered to her TV.

On the 30th of April, in a 0-0 draw with Chelsea, Jordan would pick up a nasty hamstring injury, just a month before the tournament, and her World Cup dreams were looking in doubt. At 22 years old, Jordan looked forward to playing in her first major tournament, having made her debut for the Lionesses in 2013 against Italy.

On the 11th of May 2015, the World Cup squad would be announced, and Jordan's name would be on that list and not only that, she had been named Vice Captain for the tournament. At 22 years old, one of her biggest dreams, to play in a World Cup were coming true, and she would be helping lead her national team in their efforts to glory.

Jordan's legacy was writing it's self, and this looked to be her breakout tournament, she was the breakout player of the WSL, and people couldn't wait to see what she could do on the world's biggest stage.

Jordan would go on to make just 1 appearance at the tournament, in a group stage game against Colombia. Her hamstring injury would make a reappearance, and she wouldn't be able to perform at her usual level.

She'd play the full 90 minutes against Colombia, but would admit she played through 'agonizing' pain, and would have to run over to the dugout to be supplied with pain killers during the match, as she was unable to sprint.

The Lionesses would go on to win bronze in Canada, but Jordan would be left struggling with the fact she wasn't really able to play like she wanted to.

She would later explain in an interview a couple of months later that 'On a personal level, I was really disapointed to have the injury. I felt like I could have made an impact at the tournament and I missed not being out on the pitch with the girls.'.

“Hopefully there will be a lot more tournaments for me to make more of an impact. I want to be a major part of this squad and help us to keep on improving.”

The next few years went perfectly, she was one of the leagues best midfielders, and quickly making her name was one of the worlds best. She was one of the first names on the team sheet, and the future looked like it had been layed out in front of her, all she had to do was take it.

She became Arsenal's vice captain in 2017, and remained England vice captain alongside captain Steph Houghton. England were considered a better team when she played, and Jordan was ready to prove that she was the determining factor in the squad. The next major tournament was taking place soon, she was ready to redeem herself for what happened in the 2015 World Cup, in the 2019 World Cup that was being held in France.

Jordan started the 2018/19 season with a bang, in her first 10 appearances in all competitions she had scored 9 goals, she was on top of her game, and it was going to take something tremendous to slow her down now.

On the 18th of November, Arsenal would face Everton in the league. The match would end 4-0 to the Gunners, and Jordan would score in the 49th minute, a goal that would see her go to the top of the All-Time WSL top goalscorers list.

In the 82nd minute, Jordan would go in to challenge Chloe Kelly for the ball. However, she would fall to the floor with a non contact injury, after being seen by the medical staff and being supplied with oxygen on the pitch, she would be stretchered off the pitch and the captains armband would be passed to Leah Willamson.

With only 8 months to go until the World Cup, the anxious wait for test results began, as another major tournament hung in the balance for Jordan.

On the 20th of November, a statement would be released regarding Jordans injury. She had torn her ACL, and would be out for atleast 8 months. Jordan would completely miss the 2019 World Cup, and she was now out for the rest of the season.

It was the toughest blow for Jordan, but the hard work was only just beginning, she had been looking forward to proving herself on footballs biggest stage after it wasn't to be in the 2015 World Cup, at 26, she had just been entering her prime.

She stated in her documenatary 'Jordan Nobbs: Heartbreak and Healing' that she had felt 'very tired' leading up to the game and that as soon as she felt the 'pop' in her knee 'there wasn't a doubt that I'd done something serious.' and knew immediately that she wouldn't be at the World Cup in the summer.

Whilst she begun her rehabilitation, the BBC gave her an offer that felt like a lifeline, an oppurtunity to still be in France supporting England. They invited her to be a pundit during the England games, joining the likes of ex team mate Alex Scott and swapping the football boots for a microphone. She also did a column for 90 minute magazine, wanting to support the Lionesses in anyway she could.

Speaking in an interview with SportBible about being a pundit for the tournament, she said 'I think if I was going over there just to watch the games, I just couldn’t do it. It is heartbreaking to not be on the pitch and to think about what I could be doing if I wasn’t injured. For me to focus on a media job role, it allows me to still be a part of everything but it gives me something solid to focus on. I’ve been doing bits and pieces on the media side throughout my career so it doesn’t feel too daunting and perhaps the injury has been a blessing in disguise as it’s opened up this opportunity to still be involved in the World Cup through a slightly different lens than normal.'

That season, Arsenal would go on to win their first WSL title in 6 years, Jordan would lift the trophy alongside captain Kim Little after winning against a Man City team who had gone unbeaten.

Whilst the 2019 Women's World Cup kicked off in France, Jordan was looking forward to entering the final stages of her rehab, the start of the new season was her goal, Arsenal had a WSL championship to defend.

On the 25th of August 2019, 295 days after she had torn her ACL, Arsenal would play a BCD friendly against Tottenham Hotspur. She'd come off the bench for the game and score on her first touch, Arsenal would go on to win the match 6-0, and the Jordan Nobbs come back was well underway.

She would make her WSL comeback on the 8th of September as a substitute for Vicki Schnaderbeck in a 2-1 game against West Ham. She'd go on to make 28 appearances for Arsenal in her comeback season, scoring 8 goals across all competitions.

Jordan Nobbs was officially back, and she was ready to prove her worth. She'd have to fight for her place in a packed Arsenal midfield, that boasted the likes of Kim Little, Danielle Van De Donk, Jill Roord, and an injured Lia Walti who was making her way back to full fitness.

Disaster would strike again, as just when she was finding her rhythm back and getting into good form, the Covid-19 pandemic would cause the WSL to end early in March, this would result in a third place finish for Arsenal, and an even longer wait for Jordan.

In April 2020, she would go on to sign a new contract with the Gunners. “Arsenal is my everything now,” said Jordan after putting pen to paper. “I think football has overtaken my life since the age of seven, but I think I’ve got Arsenal in my blood now and I’m very proud to say that. I think I’ve got some great years to come.”.

She believed that signing a new contract with Arsenal would be the best step going forward, Arsenal had become her home, and this was the key into getting back to where she was in Winter 2018, back to being one of the best, at the club that knew her best.

She had her sights set on the next big thing, the Tokyo Olympics. They would start in the summer of 2021, and after making it onto the initial 30 player Team GB squad in 2012, but then not making the cut and then Team GB not qualifying at all for Rio in 2016, Jordan was prepared to work in order to achieve one of her biggest dreams.

She would end the 2020/21 season making 20 appearances for Arsenal and scoring 7 goals in all competition. Internally, Jordan felt unsure of herself, she had been played on the left wing all season, which wasn't her ideal position, preferring to excel in central midfield, but she would play wherever the team needed her to.

Hege Riise would be the woman in charge of taking Team GB to the Olympics that year, an interim coach after the departure of Phil Neville.

The season would end on the 7th of May, the anxious wait for a call began, as the squad list would be announced later in the month.

On the 27th of May, the 19 player list would be announced; Jill Scott, Ellen White, Leah Williamson, Lucy Bronze would all be named as apart of the squad, Jordan would not, she wouldn't even make it onto the reserves list.

Alex Greenwood and Beth Mead were among the shock emissions from Team GB. In an article from The Athletic, they stated that in a bid to not include Jordan in the squad, Team GB would be 'weaker for it'.

Speaking on it in an interview with Arseblog, Jordan reflected 'If I had played in central midfield a bit more, maybe I would have got in; but I definitely think I could have improved or helped the team, given the chance.', Team GB would go on to be beaten by Australia 4-3 in the Quater finals.

Jordan didn't have long to dwell on the disapointment of not making the team, as the next major tournament was in sight, and this one was extra special.

A home Euros. Games would be played up and down the country, with the final being at Wembley stadium. A dream for any footballer.

Arsenal and England would also have new managers. Arsenal would employ Jonas Eidevall, previously of FC Rosengård, and England would take on Sarina Weigman, previously of the Netherlands, which of whom she had won the previous Euro's, and had made it to the World Cup final in 2019.

This was 2 managers she would now have to prove herself to, they would both bring a different vision and Jordan knew she would have to work hard to have any place for club and country, but disaster would strike before it had all even began.

Ahead of the 21/22 season, Arsenal would play a preseason friendly against Chelsea at Emirites stadium. After enduring a tackle from Erin Cuthbert, her ankle would buckle awkwardly and she had to be stretchered off the pitch. Scans would later reveal that she had damaged the ligaments in her right ankle, and despite previous fears that she would be out for 4 months, the injury wasn't as severe as first thought and she would be out for 2 months.

Speaking to Arseblog News about the injury in November 2021, she said it was still really bad timing because I was raring to go for the season and that all took a knock. That injury really felt like the final mental hurdle that I could take, it really knocked me back quite a bit.

“I have worked hard with every setback though and I believe that will pay off. I’ve worked hard every time. It was tough, especially when I thought the injury might be worse, I was just thinking ‘oh my God, this is not happening again?’ Touch wood,” she says, tapping her head, “I am back fit now though and I have a lot of opportunity to shine with Arsenal.”.

That season, she'd go on to make 27 appearances for the Gunners. She'd go on to mark her 250th appearance in a 4-2 victory against Birmingham City as she'd be a stoppage time substitute. She would also score her 50th goal in a game against Everton.

Things were going well for Jordan at this stage, her body was feeling good and she felt ready to compete for a place at Euro 2022.

She was still getting regular England call ups from Sarina Weigman, speaking in an England article about looking towards the Euro's, she said, “I am not looking too far ahead because of what has happened in the past but I have to focus on what I can do and that is performing and playing well.”.

Could she finally be getting redemption ? Jordan had played in Euro 2017, where they would get knocked out by eventual winners the Netherlands after being defeated 3-0 in the Semi Finals. Could she help bring it home in a home Euro's ?

On may 1st, Arsenal would face Aston Villa in the penultimate game of the WSL, things were heated in the title race, with Arsenal in for a chance to get their hands on the trophy for the first time in 3 years.

Jordan would come on in the 73rd minute as a substitute for Vivianne Miedema. She'd only be on the pitch for 12 minutes.

She'd be running with the ball, when suddenly, she'd pull up and drop to the floor. She'd get back up, but it was noticable that she wasn't comfortable and was having severe issue with her knee/ankle. She'd play on for a short while, visibilly getting emotional, she knew what an injury at this stage would mean for her Euro's hopes, and possibily the future of her career, it had been a tough season for her in terms of game time, what message would this send to the manager ? She hadn't had an injury free season in years, and the fact she wasn't playing regular football was making her more susceptible to injury.

She'd hop and jog around the pitch for a little while longer,former team mate Fara Williams on commentary saying 'I really hope she's sensible here if she's hurt, she needs to make the right decision. She'll try and fight through because she's missed major tournaments through injuries and I'm sure thats playing on her mind.'.

She'd eventually come off, in tears and looking heartbroken. As she got a standing ovation from the fans, in commentary they were saying the thought that was on everyones mind, 'I wonder if this could be a farewell [...] her future not certain at this club, the club that she loves, the club she's been with for so long.'

Could this be a goodbye for Jordan ? The anxious wait for test results began. Yet again.

On the 17th of may 2022, it would be announced that Jordan would be out for the remainder of the season, and would also be out of contention for the European Championships that summer.

Once again, Jordan threw everything behind the Lionesses that summer. She partnered up with JustEats 101 initiative, that was helping to fund grassroots teams and making football more accessible to women and girls.

By July 19th, she was back on the grass and training on Arsenal pitches.

Speaking in an interview, she said 'Naturally I wanted to fight for a spot in the squad [...] I've been there, done that, even though it's not the situation I want to be in. I won't ever shy away from tough times of my career that mentally I've struggled with.'

She would attend the games alongside her fellow Arsenal team mates, cheering on her team every step of the way. She knew her role, she'd been here before.

England won the Euro's and the 22/23 season was almost here, it would be Jordan's 12th season with Arsenal.

The season begun with a 4-0 win against Brighton on the 16th of September, Jordan wouldn't appear in this match, this was soon a noticable pattern. She didn't start a game until the 27th of October against Zurich, where she scored a goal that was named Arsenal's goal of 2022. She would then be brought on in the next game against West Ham after an injury to Kim Little, she'd score after 90 seconds with her first touch of the game.

This brought her to be called up by the lionesses, but she'd have to pull out due to a small injury. Fans believed the Jordan Nobbs Revenge Tour was well underway, Jordan would start the next 3 games, getting a good amount of minutes.

She'd make a league appearance as a substitute against Aston Villa, scoring Arsenals 500th WSL goal in a 4-1 win. She would make her final appearance for Arsenal in a Champions League group stage math against Zurich, she'd come on in the 62nd minute and play what fans didn't know was her last Arsenal match.

She'd come off the pitch crying, and this was all the fans needed to know, now they just had to wait for the inevitable.

On January 5th 2023, it was announced that Jordan would depart Arsenal after 12 years with the club. In an open letter, she wrote 'I’m leaving the love of my life behind and that’s something really quite scary for me. But I’ve got no regrets in my mind because it’s been the perfect fairytale and I’ve achieved everything I ever wanted to and a whole lot more. 270 appearances, 81 goals, three WSL titles, four FA Cups? Where did the time go? I think a 17-year-old Jordan would have been very happy with that. It’s very rare these days to stay at a club for such a long time, and quite simply, there’s no other club I would have rather done it at.'

Jordan's departure left a bitter taste in fans mouths, it was later revealed that she had tried to leave the club during the summer, but the club had asked her to stay. A few felt she had been mistreated by the club in the last few years, but Jordan knew that this was a decision she had to make for herself, and ultimately, her career. She was going to Australia in the summer no matter what.

She had a successful last half of the season with Aston Villa, with them having their highest finish in the WSL yet, 5th. Jordan would score 4 goals for them, a hattrick (her first ever) against Brighton, and then 1 against West Ham. She'd suffer a knock towards the end of the season, to which herself and the club thought it would be best to end her season there. She wasn't willing to risk jeporadising her spot on the World Cup squad.

On the 31st of May 2023, Sarina Weigman announced her 23 player squad that would go to the World Cup, Jordan's name would be on that list.

She had fought her way back onto the international stage, putting on exceptional performances at Aston Villa, after missing the last 2 major tournaments as well as the Olympics, Jordan felt rejuvanised.

'I'm still waking up now with the butterfly feeling. Everyone dreams of playing in major tournaments.'

As we now come to the end of the 23/24 season, Jordan has played 1375 minutes for Aston Villa this season, and started 16 games, Scoring 2 goals and getting 2 assists. She has been without injury all season, being one of the only Villa players to do so.

She's carved her name into WSL history books, she's the only player to score in every WSL season, she's never lost in a game where she's scored. She is the only player to make an appearance in every WSL season. She's also 2nd in the all time WSL appearance holders list. She has the highest number of wins with one club (Arsenal, 121)

Although she isn't the player she was once, she's had to slow down due to her injury issues and has had to adapt her playing style in an attempt to avoid injury, added on to the fact that she is 31 years old now, she's still full of energy and has been one of Villa's best players this season, playing out of position at DM.

It's hard to see her getting called up for England again, even as the curent longest serving Lioness, it felt like we only had her for a brief moment, and then she was gone.

Her career didn't go the way it was supposed to, one of the worlds best has been reduced to a classic case of a talent ruined by injuries, but she remains positive. She now enjoys her football again, getting consistent minutes and seeing out the final years of her career.

She leaves a legacy to be proud of, and i hope she is.

[hedghost]

less being nervous abt transfer season and all the rumours going around and when it all gets a little too much r plans a night in for them w all her fav things 🥹

alessia russo / ease her mind

to begin with, neither you nor alessia had thought much about the impending end of her contract. sure, the drama of the january transfer season had offered a fleeting, but very real, reminder; the arsenal offer had been a bullet in the dark, blindly dodged before you even had time to register the gunshot, but once that was shut down, the two of you settled back into the routine of the season, and the summer faded to only a niggling thought in the back of your mind.

you'd both spoken about the various possibilities of course, with you due to stay in manchester for at least a season or two, but you had faith in your relationship to withstand whatever may occur. although you would've appreciated some clarity on the future, you could tell that alessia was equally in the dark - though she seemed to be having a tougher time dealing with it. you knew she was a creature of habit, knew that uncertainty frightened her, and you could tell that talking about it too much, when it was so firmly out of either of your hands, was only doing your girlfriend far more harm than good.

and so you did your best to ease her worries, trying to project your whatever will be, will be attitude onto her, and, given that she was so adept at trusting you, it worked - at least for a few months.

as the season wore on however, and the deadline loomed ever closer, you could tell by alessia's change in demeanour that it was starting to weigh heavier on her mind. her carefree positivity wavered a little more each day, she laughed a little less, and a little quieter, pushed herself a little harder; head down, body tense. she played each game as though it might be her last, relished each minute she got on the pitch with a little more ferocity. each goal she didn't score seemed to sting a little more, each interaction with a fan tugged a little harder at her heartstrings.

for anyone else, the change in attitude may have been attributed to the backend end of the season, the laser-focus of a professional getting down to business, but to you, alessia was see-through; an open book. despite this, there seemed to be nothing you could do to ease her mind. she wouldn't talk about her contract, wouldn't hear any conversation of transfer season, seemingly wishing to just deny it was even on the horizon at all.

an open book in a foreign language. a glass vault, firmly locked.

and so you let it lie. that was an issue for after the season, and for now you were content to help alessia enjoy her potential last days at united, and to allow yourself to enjoy the luxury of having her nearby.

the season drew to a close, and the team was in high spirits. the fa cup loss had been hard to take, sure, and you knew exactly why alessia had taken it harder than most, but with the team finishing in second in the league after a long run of great performances, everyone was happily looking ahead to the summer.

though you were hoping for a bit of a rest, the end of the season meant you both finally had a chance to celebrate and have fun, and you weren't about to miss out. you both were bombarded with invites from various people - parties, trips away, breakfasts, brunches, coffee, lunches, dinner, nights out, the lot. while a hectic schedule was your norm, it was a nice change for the plans to be social ones, rather than training or work commitments, and so you and alessia accepted them readily.

still, it was a lot. neither of you had really had a break, a chance to fully relax, and you found yourself wondering how long alessia could last before it all boiled over.

with the season over, transfer rumours had begun to fly in full force, with the brunt of them concerning alessia. you knew it was stressing her out, having come no closer to a deal with either arsenal or united, or any other of the numerous interested clubs. it didn't help that no matter where you went, no matter who she was speaking to, alessia was being bombarded with questions.

journalists were the worst offenders, circling her like vultures, but even when you were with friends it always came up. although it was often in the form of light-hearted jokes or teasing banter, you could see the toll it was taking on alessia. you spent enough time looking at her to not miss her downcast eyes or tensed shoulders.

it all came to a head one evening, when the two of you joined a few of the united girls for a night out at a bar in manchester. you were squeezed into a booth between vilde and lessi, fourth drink in hand, laughing as you all clamoured to be heard over the thumping music and shouts of other inebriated patrons.

you kept an eye on lessi, having not missed her tired eyes and quiet responses to you earlier in the day. you chucked her a few sideways glances, keeping your hand firmly planted on her thigh, but you were pleased to see that she seemed to have brightened up a little. that is, until millie, considerably drunk, brought up the topic of next year, swaying as she rose from her seat to perform an exuberant toast.

we're gonna win the league next year bitches!

you laughed as maya pulled her back down forcefully to save her from embarrassment, the rest of the girls all cheering at millie's wild claim. all except alessia. you squeezed her thigh, watching as her mouth tightened and she developed a sudden interest in the bottom of her glass. this time though, you weren't the only one to notice her reaction.

except for lessi, the traitor!

the rest of the girls laughed again at millie's addition, but you winced at how perfectly she'd found lessi's sore spot. you went to say something, to signal subtly across the table for millie to leave her be, but before you could, alessia rose from her seat. she mumbled something about getting another drink, before she sped away, eyes downcast and shoulders hanging low.

the girl's laughter faded immediately, and millie looked at you with frantic apology.

shit, i'm sorry- i didn't mean-

you sighed, running a hand through your hair with a sad smile. millie wasn't exactly to blame, you knew she'd been joking, and you were sure alessia did too. this was just the last straw in a series of similar encounters, each one chipping away at alessia's facade a little more. you were quick to placate millie.

no it's okay, she's just stressed about it all, sore spot and all that- i'm just gonna go check up on her

you barely registered the girl's nods before you were up out of your seat, in hot pursuit of your girlfriend. despite her earlier excuse, she wasn't at the bar, nor was she in the bathroom. you pulled out your phone to call her, but were stopped by a familiar head of blonde hair sat alone in the smoking area.

you slid wordlessly onto the bench beside her, choosing to sling an arm loosely around her shoulders. alessia started a bit at the contact, before she let herself be tugged gently into you. she kept her eyes down as she curled into you, pressing her face into your chest. you heard her sniffle slightly, before you felt the wetness of her cheeks against your exposed collarbone. your hand found the back of her head, and you held her tight into you.

i just don't know what to do

she whimpered into your neck. she sounded so weak, so tired of it all. the pit in your stomach grew, and your heart twisted. you hated to see your girl like this. you swayed the two of you a little, kissing her hairline and murmuring into her hair.

i know darling, i know

you didn't have much else you could say. there were no perfect words you could utter to fix all this, no way to magically put her world to rights. god knows you would've done it by now if there was.

can we go home?

you nodded, pulling alessia to stand. you wiped her tears and pecked her cheek, as she tried to muster any sort of smile. it lasted all of two seconds before her face fell again, and she practically shuddered with exhaustion. leaving alessia briefly outside, you said a quick goodbye to the girls as you left, who listened with concern as you explained the situation. they ushered you out with messages of love for you to pass on, content with the fact that their girl was in safe hands with you.

the ride home was quiet, though your hand never left alessia's. you traced circles into her soft palms, trying to soothe just a little bit of her anxieties. you knew you'd need to talk about it at some point, but that could wait. alessia definitely wasn't in a talking mood, and all you wanted to do was offer comfort. when you got in, you sent her to bed immediately, promising to join her in a few seconds. you fetched her a water and some painkillers - already anticipating tomorrow's hangover - before you sent a quick message to the girls to let them know less was home safe.

you let alessia sleep in the next day, taking a while to just hold her close to you as she did. she'd curled into your side the second you'd slipped under the covers, still sniffling slightly as she breathed you in, and she hadn't moved from her position all night. you'd lain awake long after she'd slipped into sleep, heart breaking for her as you softly stroked her arm.

you were careful not to wake her now, as you slipped out from her grasp. she stirred a little at the movement, but you stroked her hair until she curled back into herself. you left a note on her bedside table, next to the water and painkillers, before slipping out to the shops.

when you returned, you were pleased to find alessia was still asleep. clearly she was exhausted, both mentally and physically. she needed the rest. you knew she had a meeting with her agent in the afternoon, unfortunately regarding transfer business, but she could sleep until then.

you busied yourself with cooking lunch in the meantime, and soon enough alessia emerged, still looking half-asleep. you opened your arms to her, and she padded dutifully over. she sighed into your neck as you swayed her back and forth, the perfect picture of domestic bliss, before she pulled back to kiss you gently.

i'm sorry for last night, she murmured against your lips.

don't be, you replied, feeling any better?

the hum she gave you in reply was noncommittal, and you nodded sadly, already knowing her stresses wouldn't have been eased overnight. you may not have been able to take the burden of it all off her shoulders, but you had a plan to hopefully lighten the weight.

you led her to the table, plating up her food and delivering it with a kiss. she smiled in return, but it did little to ease the tiredness in her eyes. you were pleased to see her mood increase steadily as you ate, but the tension seemed to return in full force when she remembered the meeting with luca. alessia groaned and buried her face in her hands. you stroked her calf with your foot under the table.

i know, babe, i know - but when you're done we're having a chill night in, okay?

i thought you were meeting maya? she looked up at you, eyes questioning.

i've already told her i can't make it

but-

no buts less, i can see maya whenever i want - tonight is about you

alessia smiled, a slight blush rising beneath her spray of freckles. she nodded, before she got up to get ready.

as soon as she was out the door you got to work enacting your plan. two years of dating lessi meant you knew her inside out, and you'd meticulously planned the evening to include everything that might make her feel better right now. you began by cleaning the entire flat, knowing that alessia was a firm believer in tidy house, tidy mind, but also aware that when she was stressed, it was the first thing she neglected, leading to a pile up of laundry, and her shoes and belongings littering the hallways in an obstacle course of various trip hazards. then you set to work on dinner.

you'd chosen one of your classic 'marry me meals', as you called them, a repertoire of elaborate but comforting home-cooked dinners, all chosen especially with alessia in mind. you picked her favourite to make tonight, the one she requested most often, but that you saved for special occasions. the familiar motions of cooking allowed you to relax a little, taking your mind of your girlfriend's pain, which in all honesty was eating you alive. while before, you'd selfishly hoped she'd stay at united, now all you wanted was for it to be sorted so that alessia could relax. she could play football on mars for all you cared, as long as she was happy. if you had to invest in a spacesuit to watch her play, so be it.

when alessia texted you that she was on her way home, you quickly ran a bath, lighting candles and filling it with her favourite bath salts. you were adding a spoonful of honey to a cup of herbal tea - her favourite blend - when you heard the door open.

how was it, love? you called as alessia removed her shoes and dropped her bag. she shrugged as she moved towards you.

more of the same, i- wait, did you clean?

yes i did, now come on

you pulled her into the bathroom, her eyes widening as she took in what you'd set up for her. you began to peel off her clothes for her, taking her hand as she stepped into the bath. you handed her the tea, and she sighed, eyes swimming with emotion.

y/n i-

shh, less, just let me help you relax okay? no transfer rumours, no contract talks, just you and me

she nodded gratefully, and you began to wash her hair for her, kneading your hands gently through her tresses, massaging her head as you untangled her hair. you took your sweet time, smiling as alessia's shoulders loosened more than they had in a while.

feel good? you asked, and alessia nodded. she leant back to look at you, and your heart flipped at the sight of her.

i love you, y/n

love you more less

leaving her there to soak for a little longer, you went to put the finishing touches on dinner. you collected alessia's favourite blanket from the bedroom, laying out fresh pyjamas and one of your hoodies for her as you did.

when alessia emerged, it was to find you with your hands on your hips, lips pursed as you critically surveyed the set up you'd created. mood lighting, plenty of blankets, alessia's favourite films already lined up to watch on the tv, an array of all her favourite snacks and drinks, anything and everything you could think of.

sensing her presence, you spun around to take her hands, ignoring her offers to help with dinner as you pushed her onto the sofa. she laughed, blue eyes shining, as you made a show of tucking her in and kissing her hand, before you went to grab the food.

she nestled into your side as you both ate, kissing your cheeks in silent thanks, expression glowing with love. you watched her closely, scanning for any residual stress or tension, but you came up short. you felt a weight on your chest that you didn't even notice was there release, like a fist clenching your heart had let go.

when alessia finished eating, you pulled her so she was on top of you, smiling as she burrowed into your chest. you reached a hand beneath her shirt to scratch lightly against her back, and she hummed. alessia pressed a kiss to your neck, nipping at it playfully in gratitude.

thank you, y/n

anything for you less

[julianalvarez9]

if this is it, just know i love you.

(1) Tweeted by Mason, 24. jan. 2021. / (2, 4, 6) Cornelia Street, Taylor Swift. / (3) Picture tweeted by LDN, 17. feb. 2023. / (5) Mason Mount celebrates after scoring their side's seventh goal and his hat-trick during the Premier League match between Chelsea and Norwich City at Stamford Bridge on October 23, 2021 in London, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterilli / (7) Mason Mount celebrates with teammate Christian Pulisic after scoring their team's second goal during the UEFA Champions League Semi Final Second Leg match between Chelsea and Real Madrid at Stamford Bridge on May 05, 2021 in London, England. (Photo by Darren Walsh) / (8, 10, 16) You're Losing Me, Taylor Swift. / (9) Mason Mount applauds the fans after their side's defeat in the UEFA Champions League quarterfinal second leg match between Chelsea FC and Real Madrid at Stamford Bridge on April 18, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Rose) / (11) Mason Mount watch on from the substitutes bench during the Premier League match between Chelsea FC and Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge on April 01, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Rose) / (12) Quote by James Baldwin, Giovanni's Room / (13) Mason Mount celebrates after scoring their side's first goal during the Premier League match between Watford and Chelsea at Vicarage Road on December 01, 2021 in Watford, England. (Photo by Darren Walsh) / (14) Tweeted by Bobby Vincent / (15) Video from user DremGetsTickets on Twitter. / (17) Mason Mount and Thomas Tuchel celebrate following their team's victory in the Semi Final of the Emirates FA Cup match between Manchester City and Chelsea FC at Wembley Stadium on April 17, 2021 in London, England. (Photo by Michael Regan)

[ollieflopkins]

what exactly happened to sterling at liverpool why he was so adamant nothing would make him stay ?

THANK YOU ANON FOR ASKING THIS and apologies for the delay!

In my original post I detailed how upsetting it was for me as a newer Liverpool fan in 2015 to go through Sterling’s transfer to City and see all the media surrounding said transfer. I was upset because 1. He was a highly sought after young talent and I didn’t want him to leave in general, 2. He left to go to City of all clubs, and 3. Everything surrounding the transfer, at least to me at the time, came down to money. And yessss all footballers do care about their bag but for a 20 year old + his team who we raised to be talking about money in the press like he was? For me it was in bad taste. But I’ll try to keep it objective.

Raheem Sterling and why he wanted to leave Liverpool, plus some insight into 2010-2015 Liverpool, below the cut.

Why did Raheem Sterling want to leave Liverpool?

Wanted to win trophies. In Dec 2012 he signed a new long term contract with us under Brendan Rodgers and was enthusiastic about his future with us. However, Sterling’s entire career at Liverpool occurred pre-Klopp/pre-modern resurgence era so we weren’t ever really competing for leagues or silverware: we won a League Cup and like…almost won the prem once lolol… but that was it for Sterling’s entire career with us 2010-2015. City 2010-2015 were in Kun Aguero era and won the FA Cup, the League Cup, the prem twice, and came in second in the prem two other times. City easily were more successful and had more money to throw around at the time (still do 😌).

Wanted his bag. In 2014, he won Golden Boy, so journalists were touting him as the current best young talent in Europe at the time. He is also making pots/poty lists and such. Obviously his stock went up like crazy then. Liverpool were also being very flexible with him and providing rest/vacation time and such to prevent him from getting exhausted, etc etc aka they were glazing Sterling and clearly wanted him to stay badly. Early 2015 and Liverpool were offering Sterling an insane contract rumored to be £100k+ / week but Rodgers also said Liverpool aren’t going to rain money on him. Sterling notoriously dragged his feet on signing and fans began to boo him at matches bc the contract negotiations were being dragged out ostensibly bc of money. Sterling and his team at this point begin to give interviews talking about turning the contract down, saying at first it isn’t about money, then saying he’s not staying at the club for any amount of money…meanwhile Rodgers is pissed bc why is their player saying anything independently of the club to the BBC. Very messy. Then the bids start coming in from City and Sterling asks not to go on the summer tour with Liverpool and misses trainings, and former players and pundits are not having this. Lots of disappointment and feelings of abandonment. Ultimately Sterling became the most expensive English player ever at the time upon his transfer to City the summer of 2015. He went from making £35k/week on his current contract at Liverpool (Liverpool were offering him £100k/week to stay) to £150k/week on the 2015-2019 contract at City. Again, this is as a 20 year old winger coming off ~3 seasons of first team at Liverpool with rough generous estimate ~15 goal contributions in the prem for his time in the first team. no european experience bc Liverpool weren’t good at the time. bag chaser 🤷🏼‍♀️

I am not saying Sterling was not a good footballer - he was quick, a good dribbler, and could always pose a threat (still can on brilliant singular occasions). Like obviously he was an extreme talent bc Liverpool were willing to pay exorbitant amounts (for our club’s standards) to keep him. Sterling has always been inconsistent though. But he shone at City and fwiw they can keep him lol in my opinion he doesn’t have much of a legacy at Liverpool. That era was about SAS first and foremost - Sturridge and Suarez - with Sterling and Coutinho for support, but yes Sterling was important. He’s no legend but he matters.

I also recognize that I don’t think Sterling has been surrounded by the right people during his career. Many young players get preyed upon and misled and mismanaged. And really maybe Liverpool just didn’t matter to Sterling that much in the end. Which then…good riddance lol. He’ll always be a rat to me and if you feel differently that’s fine.

And since he’s come to chelsea and really began his tour of the big 6 clubs in earnest, he’s been a shadow of his former self. Landing at arsenal is strange and surely undesired by Arsenal fans but who knows what Arteta is cooking. Me personally, idcccccc

[alexbkrieger13]

Women’s Champions League: where the semi-finals will be won and lost

This weekend brings the first legs of the Women’s Champions League semi-finals and I am particularly intrigued to see how my old club Chelsea approach their tie against Barcelona. This is the third encounter between the clubs in the space of four seasons and it will be interesting to see what Chelsea’s coaching staff have learned from those previous games – the 2021 final and 2023 semi-final, which both ended in defeat.

To draw on my recollections of playing in those matches, in 2021 we went into the final with a high press and the attitude that ‘we’re going to do our thing’. But we all know how that worked out – within 20 minutes we’d conceded three times and by half-time it was 4-0, which is how that final finished.

Last year, as a consequence, we took a more cautious approach. We changed to a back three and tried to minimise their chances on goal and I think we did it quite well though, in the process, we sacrificed our own attacking game to a degree. In our 1-0 first-leg loss at home, we had an xG of only 0.35. Hopefully, this time Chelsea can find the perfect blend and play their own game while also constricting Barcelona.

Of course, it won’t be easy as Barcelona – like the Spain national team – are going like a train right now. In my first column in February, I spoke about playing against Spain with Sweden and the challenge of stopping their play in the half-spaces between the centre-back and full-back, which they are so good at exploiting through Aitana Bonmatí. This time I’d like to single out another player – namely, the Barcelona right winger Caroline Graham Hansen, who is having an incredible season. She scored in both legs against Chelsea last season and has been even better this year with 17 goals and 16 assists in the Liga F. With Barcelona functioning so well as a team centrally, they can get the ball to her in the wide spaces and give her the one v one situations in which she flourishes. Therefore, Chelsea must keep a player tight to her and also to try to stop the supply line of passes out wide.

As for my old team, just like for last season’s semi-final, they look certain to be without Millie Bright, who has only just returned to training after her knee injury. She will be missed, as will Sam Kerr, the leader of the front line. Yet if you’re looking for positives, one potential upside is that it might not be easy for Barcelona to analyse Chelsea. They have used a lot of players this season with different combinations in the back line and midfield and this unpredictability could be an asset. A case in point is Lauren James, who could play as centre-forward, the No 10 or in the wide areas. Lauren has been injury-free this season and has played at a consistently high level and it’s not easy for opponents to set up to stop her as she can float around and perform in different areas.

Another possible positive for Chelsea is that Barcelona are without their injured centre-back Mapi León. She was very good against us last year, both in stopping attacks and building the play. We had a plan to exploit their high line and get Sam in behind her and Irene Paredes, the other centre-back. However, the pair of them read it well and dropped back to deny Sam the space.

When you look at Barcelona’s unbeaten run in their domestic competitions, it contrasts with Chelsea’s recent domestic form with their defeats in the League Cup final and FA Cup semi-final. I’d argue that, playing in England, Chelsea face bigger tests more often yet Barcelona, to their credit, never seem to let their standards drop and whenever a big test comes around, they show up. If I have to make a prediction, therefore, my head tells me Barcelona are the best club side in the world right now and so will edge it. Of course, my heart is hoping for Chelsea and although they’ve have had those recent setbacks, a huge characteristic of their success under Emma Hayes has been their ability to bounce back from disappointments and produce a performance when it matters most.

As for the other, all-French, semi-final between Lyon and Paris Saint-Germain, I would have made Lyon clear favourites a few months ago but not any longer. I actually scored Bayern’s winner at PSG in the group stage in November but I have been impressed by how they have gelled as a team since then. Watching their quarter-final against Häcken, I saw a settled, solid side who have found a way to really capitalise on the speed of winger Tabitha Chawinga.

Before our two games against them with Bayern, we looked at their threat on the left side with both Chawinga and full-back Sakina Karchaoui, who gets over a lot of crosses. What I like about Chawinga is that she’s a forward who, with her individual quality, speed and strength, can make something out of nothing. At Bayern we experienced that in our 2-2 draw with PSG in Munich in December when with her speed, she intercepted a backpass which our goalkeeper had looked the favourite to reach.

She also scored when PSG drew 1-1 in Lyon in their most recent league meeting in February and with Marie-Antoinette Katoto alongside her, it’s clear PSG have a strong attacking threat. At the same time, though, I consider Lyon a more complete team. It’s true they’ve not yet faced a serious test in the competition but they have more than 11 world-class players. And I can speak from recent personal experience as my Sweden team lost 1-0 last week to a France side including several of Lyon’s best players. At centre-back Wendie Renard was really solid against us and underlined her set-piece threat once again by scoring the winning goal. Alongside her, Griedge Mbock now looks back to her best after injury.

Up front, meanwhile, I faced Kadidiatou Diani, who is the Champions League’s leading scorer with seven goals. Seeing her up close, I could sense she was in good shape. When you play an attacker who’s in form, things just seem to happen for them and I recall one incident in particular where, without producing a fantastic dribble, she was still able to get the ball away from several of our players. She is another player who can create something out of nothing and could have a key role, especially with Eugénie Le Sommer missing after suffering a knee injury in that same game against Sweden.

Like Chelsea and Barcelona, Lyon are unbeaten in this Champions League campaign, they tend to get the better of PSG in their domestic competition and I expect they’ll do so again over these two legs. That said, I really do think any of these four semi-finalists have the quality to go on and win the trophy. Whereas the quarter-final ties each had a clear favourite, this time anything could happen. I hope as many people as possible tune in as we could be in for a treat with two dramatic ties full of twists and turns.

[chelseajackarmy]

[effervescentdragon]

a little snippet of a much bigger fic (hopefully, sometime) that wouldn't leave me alone since the lfc-ajax legends game, for @san-maranello and @sebsrainbowbicycle <3 also i feel like posting something so there.

“He is really good,” Jamie says, because he is old and he remembers playing against the Mancs in the legend game and he could barely keep his breath halfway through the first half. Torres just played full ninety minutes, as did Stevie, and no matter what, that in itself is admirable.

Stevie says nothing, just sips his beer. Jamie… doesn’t want to let it go.

“I mean, he’s what, almost forty, yeah? And he -”

“Just turned forty,” Stevie interjects. “Three days ago.” 

Jamie looks at him. Stevie taps his fingers on the beer glass. He doesn’t look like he wants to say anything. He looks like those words were torn out of him already. 

Jamie goes on. “Yeah, forty. And he played full ninety, innit? Amazing,” he finishes, and takes another sip of his beer. Stevie nods, his face flat. “Too bad he couldn’t keep that form up with the billion pound bottle jobs,” he says laughing. “For him, not for us, but whatever. His decision, his fault.”

He goes to take a sip and catches the shadows on Stevie’s face. There’s something in his eyes that Jamie almost recognizes from a long time ago, but it’s gone when Jamie puts down the glass. Stevie doesn’t look like he’s going to say anything and so Jamie continues. 

“They put him against us right after,” Jamie says. “I said this to Gary, that last time we played Chelsea, what, four, five years ago? Yeah, s’mthing like that,” he continues, “I told him, That was a mistake, not against us, not after everything, yeah?” Stevie isn’t looking at him, just staring into his glass. “My thoughts, that’s what fucked him over the most. That’s why he couldn’t get himself together after.”

Stevie taps the glass. “You talk about Gary loads, yeah.”

It’s not a question. Jamie still shrugs. “Yeah, guess so. We work together, ya know? Might’ve caught us on the telly sometimes, if you bothered to watch Premier League anymore,” he adds with a grin. 

Stevie gives a small smile. “Can’t be arsed to watch ya manhandle the Manc,” he says, and Jamie refuses to think any more about it.

“Back to the El Niño,” he grins, “not a niño anymore, right? He’s a huge fella now, looks like he ate himself, honest.”

Stevie laughs, shaking his head. “Yeah, but he was always big, innit, always taller than us.”

“Anyones taller than youse,” Jamie says with a wicked grin. “‘Cept Gary, I reckon. He’s tiny.”

“‘Cept in his waistline,” Stevie laughs. “If anyone looks like he ate himself…”

Jamie frowns.

“Don’t go tellin’ him that, yeah? He’ll get mighty upset. ‘Sides, ‘s not even that bad, I just like taking the piss out of him for all those chocolates he eats, though they do make him less grumpy. Feels like that’s the only thing I can wind him up about.” He pauses. “And how shit United are, obviously.”

They exchange a look that very cleary says That FA Cup game was a fluke and we aren’t talking about it, and then Stevie chuckles. “Fine. I won’t make fun of your boyfriend, least not in his face.” He laughs. “Or waist.”

“Fuck ye,” Jamie says, but he knows Stevie means it. He isn’t the kind of guy to go for the below the belly shots, Stevie, proper and honourable lad he is. Those kinds of shots are more Jamie’s territory.

Speaking of…

“Could you even hug ‘im after the goal, with how broad he got since the last time we played?”

Stevie narrows his eyes. “Yeah, was fine. That was a nice goal, I’m glad he could score again. Would’ve liked to have scored one meself, but it wasn’t meant to be I guess.”

“Not for a lack of trying. He was passing you the ball something vicious.” Jamie chuckles. “I liked when you just laid there in front of the goal after you missed, felt very oh-seven. Some things never change.”

“Yeah, well. Some things do.”

Now, Jamie knows this is something he should let go. They haven’t talked about a lot of things for a very long time, and it’s been a very long time since it happened. They’re all in their forties now, doing different things and moving on with their lives. 

Except, are we? Jamie thinks. I’m with Gary, watching more football than I ever played, or so it feels. Stevie’s in Saudi, coaching, just like Xabi in Germany, and hopefully in England soon. Even Torres is coaching in Spain, Under 19s or sommat. Did we ever move on, really? Can we?

The thoughts are a mite depressing and too serious for a night out with his best mate who doesn’t come home nearly as often as Jamie would sometimes like him to. They throw off his rhythm in a way he doesn’t know what to do with. 

“Yeah, could’ve scored more for us if he weren’t a cunt and went to Chelsea,” he says nonsensically, a sentence he’s said a million times in the past, what, fifteen years? They’ve all said it thousands of times, in every tone imaginable, and he thinks nothing of it. 

Stevie usually thinks nothing of it, and usually agrees, or at least shrugs, unwilling to give any more of his thoughts on that disaster. 

Not tonight, apparently. 

“He was so good,” Stevie says, taking a huge gulp of his pint. “We were so good, fuck, it was the same today, yeah? One pass and I knew where he would be, and I knew where he’d expect me to be, ‘cept I can’t run that fast anymore and neither can he, not like we used to.” Jamie doesn’t like his tone, doesn’t like how it feels like it will stop being calm any second now. “I came in late, couldn’t get away before, and they pulled us into this shoot, barely had a moment to say hello to anyone and then we were already on the pitch.” He shakes his head. “And it didn’t matter. He still knew, and so did I, just like before.”

He should interrupt. He should. This isn’t… they don’t talk about this.

Stevie slams the glass on the table. “Yeah, well,” he says, rubbing his left eye with his ring finger. “He went, didn’t he? Fucked himself well over with that, yeah,” he says with a small snort. “Didn’t fuck us, but he fucked himself well and done when he left. Was never any good after us.”

Jamie thinks about whether he should say anything. Again, he thinks about how Stevie doesn’t come home often, sequestered away in Saudi and how good it is to have him home, if only for a while. He thinks about unsent messages and about how these days, he texted someone else instead of Stevie first. He thinks about Gary and about how his phone would light up sometimes and how Jamie would know it was their United of ‘92 group chat just by Gary’s smile. (Look what Scholesy sent me, Carra - Is it his feet, do you have to pay him, is this a foot fetish - Fuck you, no, it’s a meme and it’s really funny - I doubt it, but show it to me anyway Gary-lad) He thinks about Torres’ face every time Stevie was next to him, way back when in oh-six, oh-seven, and how he never looked away, his eyes always only on their Captain. He thinks about Xabi’s message, Take Stevie out tonight? He will need it. And drink something for all of us, James, and I might see you soon ;) and the Fuck you, don’t get me hopes up he sent in response. He thinks about how he never made an effort to ask for Torres’ number after that last charity match, and how he knows that Stevie still has it. (Called him, yeah, for the charity thing - Why? - Because he’s one of us - Is he? - He was. He is - I don’t think it works like that - You fucked off to the States - I didn’t want to - Yeah, Stevie, I know - It’s not the same - No, it ain’t - Yous can’t have him for your team - I don’t want him, the fuck would I do with him, he was always yours - I don’t think that works like that either.)

“Yeah,” he says, “you’re right there, Stevie.”

Stevie takes a moment, then sighs.

“Fuck you, Carra. But?”

“But what?” Jamie plays stupid, except, he learned how to play stupid when he was a kid standing right next to Stevie. 

Stevie, who rolls his eyes in the same way he always did when Jamie was a tad obnoxious.

“Exactly. But what, Jamie?” Stevie asks again, sharp and careful.

Jamie, curiously enough, thinks about Roy out of all people. About Roy saying They think they can come for one of mine, well, I think they should pick on someone their own size about Viera and Gary that once a lifetime ago when Jamie despised them all and he thinks about how Fernando was always big and strong but his eyes were always childish and wild when he looked at Stevie and he says, “But, Stevie… you told ’im to go.”

The breath Stevie sucks in is sharp. His voice, sharper. “Go get us ‘nother pint, Carra, yeah?” Captain’s voice, like a blast from the past.

Jamie knows not to disobey his captain when he uses that voice. He gets up and says, “Youse payin’,” and thinks he’ll never listen to that curiously cheerful-sounding voice in his head saying Jaaaaamie, you have to talk about your feelings man, or you’ll combust! 

Fuck Micah, and fuck Xabi, and fuck Stevie and Torres, and fuck all of this, he thinks, and orders them Lagavulin to go along with the pints. Stevie’s payin’ anyway. Jamie’s gonna take advantage of that.

What are best mates for, if not drowning sorrows in good whisky?

[sapphicbookclub]

Hotshot by Clare Lydon

loane Patterson is the ultimate a US soccer sensation whose arrival in the UK causes quite the stir. She’s got the game, the fame, the looks, the fiancée. But looks can be deceiving.

When Sloane’s life starts to unravel, Salchester Rovers’ new hire, Ella Carmichael, helps her pick up the pieces. But as the lines between their professional and personal lives blur, tensions surface. Now, Sloane’s goal of helping the team win the league and FA Cup has a significant win Ella’s heart.

Genres: contemporary, romance

Order from Blackwell's here and get free worldwide shipping!

Listen to the book on audiobooks.com here!

[louisupdates]

MY FOOTBALL

The One Direction star has two principal loves: Ronaldinho and James Coppinger

FOUR FOUR TWO, MARCH 2023 (by PAUL WILKES)

Which was the first match that you ever went to?

I actually got into football quite late, when I started playing at around 11. There were a few Manchester United fans in the family, so the first match I ever went to was an unbelievable first game: the FA Cup fifth round tie against Arsenal in February 2003 - the match when Sir Alex Ferguson kicked the boot and hit David Beckham! My best memories come from Doncaster, who are the only club I support now. We had a fantastic League Cup run in 2005 - we beat Manchester City on penalties, then beat Aston Villa 3-0 and lost to Arsenal on penalties in the quarter-finals. That was my first real low as a football fan. I can remember walking back home absolutely gutted.

Who was your childhood hero and did you ever meet them?

James Coppinger is my club hero - he played at every level and really played for the badge. Everyone in Donny loves him and he’s a great bloke too. After I got into One Direction, I was lucky to meet him and played alongside him a couple of times in charity games. As a fan growing up watching him, that was amazing l. The best person I’ve ever met in football was Pele. I met him about four or five years ago and it was incredible - he had all these stories and we spoke for ages. He was lovely.

What has been your finest moment playing football?

I played in Soccer Aid and Ronaldinho tried to nutmeg me. I was all over his shirt, giving him no respect, and I just managed to nick the ball off him! There's a sick picture that I've seen of it.

The other moment was when I was about 15. I started as a centre-back, but didn’t grow any taller so moved across to right-back, and scored the only Sunday League goal I ever scored. I’ll never forget it.

What do you like most about going to the match?

The whole atmosphere, that magic. When you have those experiences as a young lad, there’s an element of nostalgia each time you go into a football stadium.

Which players do you admire even though they’ve never played for your club?

As some of my family supported Manchester United, I was never allowed to like Thierry Henry, but those grudge matches against Arsenal were amazing. He was a serious player.

Where’s the best place you’ve ever watched a game?

The Bernabeu - it was Neymar’s first ever Clasico for Barcelona against Real Madrid, which is pretty special. It’s one of the bucket list fixtures to go to. When I was young, Doncaster signed me as a reserve player and I went to a pre-season training camp in Portugal. As a supporter of the club, that’s not something you’re normally privy to, so watching how the squad trained and prepared was fascinating.

A few years ago, you filmed a music video with Bebe Rexha on the pitch at Keepmoat Stadium. What was that like?

It was really important for me and my career. The reason I’m sat here today is because of Doncaster - it’s played a huge role. It’s who I am as a person and it’s what I write songs about. The fact that we were able to film the video at the Keepmoat, where I’ve spent many days and evenings, made it so special. It felt appropriate.

What’s your favourite football book?

It’s not a book, but FourFourTwo! I used to subscribe when I was younger. I’m not a big reader otherwise. I should be, but I’m not.

What’s been your worst experience at a game?

I was playing in a charity match at Celtic Park. I got the ball and turned to my right, then Gobby Agbonkhor come through the back of me and I tore my medial ligament. A combination of the impact and me being very unfit meant I ended up throwing up all over Celtic's stodium, which I know will please a lot of Rangers supporters.

Have any footballers been to a gig?

Paul Pogba came to a One Direction show once, that's the one that stands out - he was really sound. I won’t lie, I don’t think many footballers listen to One Direction songs.

What’s the strangest place you’ve ever met a footballer?

I was in this bar in South America and, purely by chance, Bryan Robson was there with a few friends. He was a bit drunk. We went straight over and he was nice, but it was one of those times where you think, “What is he doing here?!” [Laughs]

What’s the greatest goal you’ve ever seen live?

I was at Zlatan Ibrahimovic's debut for the LA Galaxy, because I spend some time over in Los Angeles. The LAFC keeper launched the ball upfield and it was cleared back to Zlatan about forty yards out. He watched it bounce and then smashed it over the keeper’s head - an unbelievable goal. I love him - I like a bit of s**thousery in my footballers, and he's always had that.

Who’s your current favourite player?

The obvious answer is Erling Haaland, because any fan seeing him rack up the goals this season has been totally in awe. Even if you support Manchester United, you watch him and think he's superb. But for me, Jude Bellingham. I’m so excited by Jude - he's been in brilliant form this season, even before the World Cup.

If you could drop yourself into your all-time five-a-side team, who would you be playing next to?

Well, I play at the back, so I want me and Rio Ferdinand. I'd pick Edwin van der Sar, he was a top keeper in his day, then in midfield I'd have Ronaldinho - I grew up loving his football. Up front, I'll go for Cristiano Ronaldo.

What’s the most important piece of memorabilia that you have?

I had a Doncaster home shirt as a kid that I associate with growing up. A few years ago, I bought the same shirt in my current size - it's special to me, and when I met Pele I asked him to sign it. That was the pinnacle.

[Thanks to TeamLouisMedia for the HD photo.]

links to fourfourtwouk’s posts about Louis on Twitter and Instagram