Do you remember your first grassroots football experience, and what that was like?
(TB) Mine’s actually a really funny story. It was for my local team, Sandbach United – I think it was our first ever game, my first game for them. We had a new kit that was a little bit big, and we beat this team, I think it was 13-0. I dribbled past someone, she tried to tackle me, grabbed my shorts, and my shorts fell down because they were too big. It kind of scarred me – I was like, ‘Mum, next week can I have smaller shorts?’ I was so embarrassed. But I remember that season we just went on to batter every team –so it was a good memory, well, good and bad.
(FS) Mine was that my cousin used to play at Droitwich Spa, and my nan used to take her – that weekend I was with my nan as well, and she asked the coach if I could join in. Ever since then I’ve stayed in football. I didn’t really have weekends where I could play football. But that weekend I was with my nan, and she took me along, and I just joined in. My cousin went into cricket. We grew up playing together, but then she went the cricket and swimming route, and I went football.
Was there a player or a match when you were younger that you remember watching and thinking, ‘that’s who I want to be’, or that made you want to go into football?
FS As soon as I knew I wanted to be a goalkeeper, I remember watching Karen Bardsley — I went to a game and I remember saying I wanted to be like her, and I met her after the game. Then, when I played at City, I made my debut when she was there — she was the starting keeper at the time — and she had a bracelet made with the date of my debut engraved on it. So yeah, she’d definitely be who got me into it.
TB I’d definitely say Steven Gerrard –I still have posters at home now, I said he was my hero and stuff, I just love Liverpool. There’s a moment I obviously didn’t watch live because I wasn’t born yet – Istanbul, when Liverpool came back at half time. My dad still makes me sit and watch it, though he doesn’t really have to, I watch it happily with him. I’d definitely say Steven Gerrard, watching him play and his passion – I love Liverpool. Then when I grew up I played for Liverpool, and Fara Williams was actually at training quite a lot – she’d go and play five-a-side with the parents, and watching her play, I think she was probably an inspiration for me too. She embodied a bit of what Steven Gerrard did, so that was the type of player I wanted to be – watching both of them, and just being a massive Liverpool fan.
Is there a song which takes you back to a particular memory? It doesn’t have to be associated with football, but a song that you hear and think, ‘I remember this’, or that makes you think of something.
TB I’m probably going to say ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ – when my dad took me to my first Liverpool game at Anfield, and you’re singing it with your scarf, I just got goosebumps, watching Steven Gerrard. I’m a fan girl, aren’t I?
FS I can’t really think of one, but I feel like sometimes you get a song and you’re like, that reminds me of something.
Who’s the first person you call when you have big life news?
TB Probably just Mum and Dad — and probably you as well, to be fair. Mum and Dad, and then, if it’s good or bad news, they might say different things, or I might speak to you and get some best-friend advice.
FS Yeah, probably not my dad, but the same otherwise.
Who’s influenced your life the most? Again, not necessarily in a football way.
TB I’d probably say my granddad. He’s 96 now, he’s one of 17 – my nan was one of 12. 12 was massive, but 17 is just crazy, isn’t it? That’s like 56 great-aunts and uncles. He’s the only one left of all his siblings. He’s gone from nothing to basically, I don’t know if you’d call it a millionaire, doing so well, owning so many businesses, basically setting the family up. He’s just so knowledgeable, even now, keeping up with things like reverse trade. He’s always on the go, and he comes up with all these different quotes and tells me – his advice is just so good. He said he never went to school, but he went to ‘university’ a lot, meaning he gained all that from experience, and from failing. I think he’s probably my inspiration — to give back for what he’s sacrificed and how far he’s come for the family, but also just for coming from one of 17 with nothing to what he’s got now.
FS I’d probably say my nan. She shaped who I am – what she taught me is who I want to be like. We lost her, but I still live my life the way she brought me up to be – kind. We always say that’s the most important thing. She definitely shaped us.
Who makes you laugh the hardest?
TB I’d probably say Fran. Because we’ve lived together for so many years now, we just get on like a house on fire, literally. Even when you’re having a bad day, we can just laugh –if you’re not in the mood to speak to anyone, she can get me out of a mood like that, just because she knows me so well.
Which place feels most like home outside of your own?
FS I’d say Belgium, just because that’s where I went with my mum’s family on holidays growing up – we used to go camping there every year. Not many people know about Belgium — you don’t think to go there, but it’s actually lovely where we go camping. Growing up we used to go for about six weeks, I think – every school holiday. And my mum would go on big bike rides and stuff – that’s actually my childhood, just going out and having an adventure. We hadn’t done it in quite a few years, but then this year the four of us – me, my brother, mum and dad – went on a camping trip to Belgium. Again, they went over the top, with the whole kitchen set-up. They’ve got a motorhome, but my dad decided not to take it this time, so we went in a tent – it was like 42-degree heat, with a dog as well. It was crazy.
TB I’ve always gone to Portugal, but to be fair I’d probably say Wales – my nan’s Welsh, and we always had a caravan there, went to Conwy, Llandudno. We’d always go every holiday – crabbing, fish and chips, I can remember the smell of it, going on bike rides. We’ve given the caravan up now, but it’s a core memory for us, and going back always makes me think of home away from home.
Have you ever had a moment that completely changed your perspective on life?
TB Wow, this is quite deep!
FS I’m going to say my nan again – sorry, bringing her up again – but losing her, I think… growing up I never thought she would go, I thought she’d always be there. When we lost her it was like, my god, you’ve really got to live life. She deteriorated so fast, and she wasn’t that old either. So it’s just – you’ve got to live life to the max, take every day as it comes, and don’t hold back on anything. If you want to do it, just do it.
TB I’d probably go along the same lines – losing grandparents, and thinking now that my dad’s lost his mum and his dad. Even that happening is hard to think about, and he’s older now, but he always says life’s too short, and it is. I think just knowing that other people in life lose family members, or things happen to them, shows you that you just have to be kind, be happy, and be grateful for what you’ve got.
What’s something you’ve changed your mind about over the years?
TB It’s quite a boring one, but I’d say that before, I didn’t realise how much looking after your body impacts your football – when I was younger I kept getting injured, and then over Covid I ended up having hip surgery. I really thought, I need to look after my nutrition, my sleep, my recovery – that changed my perspective, and I’m now reaping the rewards from educating myself and making the right changes.
FS I don’t know, I feel like I’m quite laid-back generally. I feel like I’ve always been pretty level.
TB It’s good though – you’ve helped me change my perspective on not getting stressed. I hate packing and stuff because it stresses me out, but the more you let it stress you out, the worse the job is, and you’ve taught me to just chill out.
FS I’m quite chill, so when people are stressed about things, I probably wouldn’t do it their way – I just don’t really get that.
What makes you feel happiest away from football?
TB I probably can’t think of a specific thing, but just the ability to, on your day off, not think about football. Just go to the beach, go for a walk, go for coffee, play cards and get immersed in a game and forget about the world. We play so many games – Ligretto, Spoons, that kind of thing – but you’re so immersed in the game that you just forget about football.
FS Going away with teammates as well helps, because they’re obviously friends as well as teammates, and it’s having that switch-off as friends – then as soon as you come back in, it’s like a team again.
TB It’s special how you can just turn it on and turn it off. I think it’s so special how you make those bonds.
What is one thing you still want to experience in life? Could be a bucket list thing.
TB I was going to say jumping out of a plane, but I’ve seen a few things recently that have scared me away from doing it.
FS My family goes skiing every year, and we’re not allowed to go too wild on it – as soon as I retire, that’s the plan. That’s the retirement plan – that, or maybe a motorbike, though that doesn’t really interest me. Skiing, though – my brother’s a massive skier.
TB I think I’d probably say just go travel in general – go to different countries and live in their culture. Go somewhere like Vietnam, and visit a monastery – I’d like to visit one and meditate and stuff. I haven’t really done that in my time.
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