Sophie Baggaley: I became a goalkeeper by chance, now I dream about playing for England
Photography: Adam Davy/EMPICS Sport
The highly-rated shot-stopper, who made the switch from Birmingham City to Bristol City initially on loan in 2017 in search of an opportunity to make the No.1 jersey her own, has since emerged as one of England’s most exciting goalkeeping prospects. Not bad for a player who had never expected to find herself between the sticks, as she tells Twentytwo…
“When I was growing up, kids wanted to score goals not stop them. Like lots of goalkeepers, I took up the role almost by chance. I was playing with a friend for a boy’s team and they were short of goalkeepers one day, so I stepped up. I’ve been playing in goal ever since.
“But only now, all these years later, are female goalkeepers starting to receive the credit they deserve. When I was younger, I didn’t look up to any female goalkeepers in particular, and I didn’t know much about the women’s game because it wasn’t as visible as it is now.
“It’s nice when you’re approached by young fans at the end of the game that want to have a photograph with you or they’re wearing a goalkeeper shirt. We’re seeing more and more of that this season and it’s great to know that there are kids out there who dream of being goalkeepers and who look up to the players in the FA Women’s Super League.
“One of the biggest changes I’ve noticed in my career so far is that since the women’s game turned professional in this country, every club has a dedicated goalkeeping coach, and we're seeing the results.
“In the past, there has been criticism of goalkeepers, particularly in the women’s game but I think that is definitely starting to change now. There were some great performances during the Women’s World Cup in France last summer, which only had a positive impact on goalkeeping. People are starting to realise now that the standards are improving, and now, in the women’s game, too, keepers need to be equally good with their feet.
“As a goalkeeper, if you make a mistake, you’ve got to put it behind you as quickly as you can so that you continue to play and play well for the rest of the game. It’s probably one of the toughest challenges you face as a goalkeeper.
“But [even when you’re pulling off worldie-saves], you’ve got to try and forget about who might be in the stands watching you – [even if it’s Phil Neville]. You still have to stay focused on playing your game and not try to change things because of who is up there watching you.
“Obviously my big ambition is to play for the senior England team but all I can do is play well for my club consistently and if I can do that then I’ve done all I can. The rest is out of my hands.”
Words: Clare Bloomfield
First published 10 January 2020