Skinner reflects on season to remember

The Reds claimed a first major honour by beating Tottenham Hotspur 4-0 in the capital earlier this month, rounding off a campaign that had endured plenty of ups and downs along the way.

Mirroring the achievement seen by our Erik ten Hag's side, United Women returned after last season's FA Cup final heartache against Chelsea to lift the trophy in front of a sell-out crowd at the national stadium.

Speaking to review the 2023/24 campaign, Marc reflected on quite the campaign for his team...

"I mean if I'm looking at it, firstly for the fans, it's huge," Skinner began.

"We've added a moment that many won't forget. You know, I think there's a moment when the second goal goes in and it cuts to the footage on TV and there's a family in the front row. Just the excitement as the goal goes in and the energy it [was like] it didn't matter that it was women's or men's football, it didn't matter.

"It was football and it provoked the same reaction. So, for me, it was like, as a head coach, to be part of that is something I'll look back on in your career and go it was a wonderful moment in my life, but it's not about that right now.

"In football, if you stand still, you stop progressing. So I've got to work harder at finding ways to progress us in the league, progress us into winning more cups."

Having been a Women's FA Cup runner-up twice before, Skinner's third time in the final worked a treat, as United put Spurs to the sword with a terrific display.

Only managing to finish fifth in the WSL in 2023/24, the boss admitted there is work to be done to catch the likes of Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester City, but it's a challenge he is ready to take on, buoyed by lifting the silverware.

"We could have been in that situation [finishing in the top three] and that's my job to get us back to there," Marc told MUTV.

"But [we must] make sure we progress this time and that's why anybody that knows me, knows that I go every single day. I work my hardest to deliver moments like that and you can't always do it.

"It's hopefully one day it's an expectancy of ours [to get into the Champions League], but it's something that I will make sure I do everything to try to do for this club.

"Nobody said last year that we were going to get back to a final and win it, and we've done it this year, so I want to make sure that we go in that for years to come for our fans because, you know, we want to want to give them as much success as we possibly can."

Having already signed to extend his stay with the club, Skinner's rallying call to work harder ahead of next season is something that will have fans eagerly awaiting the big kick-off.

Most will have seen a touching moment where Marc gave away his FA Cup winner's medal to his young daughter and admitted that, beyond football, family is where his main motivation lies.

"My runner-up medal was in the drawer, but I gave it [to her]," the 41-year-old added.

"I gave it to my daughter and she's happily going to keep it and it's hers. Now i've got another daughter, I've got to go back again, and we've got to win it again.

"I've got to give it to her and it is a real magic moment because if anybody knows me, I do it all not only for my Manchester United family, but for my personal family.

"That's why I'm here. That's my driving force, my driving factor."