United Women on ‘special’ Old Trafford occasion

Sunday 27 March 2022 08:00

United Women striker Alessia Russo and goalkeeper Mary Earps shared their pride at having the opportunity to play against Everton in the Women’s Super League at Old Trafford on Sunday, the first time the Women’s team have played at the stadium in front of fans.

Speaking to MUTV ahead of the historic match, Earps said: “It’s going to be a really special occasion.

“It should be a very decent game in front of a good crowd.”

Russo echoed her goalkeeper’s thoughts.

“We all know how much of a privilege it is to play here [Old Trafford] and I think we are ready for the challenge,” said the striker. “Most importantly we are so excited for our fans because I think we have the best fans in the league and for them to come here and support us will be amazing.”

Earps: Everton will be just as motivated Video

Earps: Everton will be just as motivated

Mary is well aware of the test that Everton will pose United Women when they visit the Theatre of Dreams this weekend...

United Women have played at the Theatre of Dreams once before, a WSL clash with West Ham. However, this match was played behind closed doors due to coronavirus restrictions.

Russo feels that having fans in the stadium on Sunday is a huge positive.

“Every game, having our fans offers a huge dimension,” she said. “They’re our twelfth player always and I think playing at Old Trafford is a credit to them really.

“It’s not only about putting a performance in for ourselves and where we want to go as a team, but also for the fans.”

With a packed crowd expected, Earps hopes that United Women can entertain the spectators, while remaining focused on getting three points.

She said: “Women’s football is a little bit different in the sense that there’s definitely a desire for a good performance, to put on a show.

“Absolutely we want to get a result, that’s the most important thing, but for sure we know that we can do that by controlling what we can control, which is our own quality.

“We’ll definitely be looking to put out a really strong performance on Sunday.”

Russo: We're excited for our fans Video

Russo: We're excited for our fans

Alessia insists the Reds are determined to make the team's first Old Trafford appearance with fans a memorable one...

Russo shared Earps’ views and believes that by putting on a good display, will encourage first-time supporters to come back and watch Marc Skinner’s side every week.

She said: “It’s going to be so exciting to welcome new fans and potentially bring them back to Leigh [Sports Village]. We can showcase what we want to do and how we want to play and hopefully it’s exciting enough for more people to come to games at Leigh after this one.

United Women: The season so far Video

United Women: The season so far

Take a look at the journey of Marc Skinner's squad up to this point...

Russo added a message to supporters ahead of the big day: “It’s a great opportunity for us to show what we can do and the future of this women’s club and I think that if you haven’t been to one of our games before I’m sure we’ll put on a show for you guys, and hopefully take the three points.”

You can buy tickets to Sunday’s historic United Women’s match at Old Trafford here. Kick-off is 12:30 GMT.

Recommended: