From when I was young the FA Cup final has always been the key date in the diary for women’s football. When I won it for the first time in 2005, in front of 8,500 people at Upton Park, it was long established as the marquee day for the women’s game, and it’s just kept growing since then. When Manchester City play West Ham at teatime on Saturday they are expecting a crowd in excess of 50,000.
It’s a very special occasion, and playing in it has always been a huge privilege, but dealing with that kind of crowd at Wembley is a whole other ball game. Walking up those stairs to pick up your winner’s medal is a dream come true, but standing on the pitch watching your opponents live that dream is one of the worst experiences you will have in your career.
Related: Steph Houghton hails Women’s FA Cup final crowd: ‘We dreamed about this’
I was so nervous in the buildup to the game, so stressed I played with one bloodshot eye, but that stress pushed me,
Related: Record attendance for Women’s FA Cup final expected at Wembley
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