Naomi Layzell on signing for Manchester City women
Naomi Layzell on signing for Manchester City women
18/08/2024
CGA, Manchester, UK
18/08/2024
CGA, Manchester, UK
Category
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SportsTranscript
00:00Naomi, welcome to the club. How does it feel to join Manchester City?
00:05It's quite surreal to be honest. You always want to play for the top teams as a young player
00:10and I think joining City is just a really exciting opportunity for me.
00:14You mentioned there obviously being a young player and having this opportunity.
00:18What considerations did you have to take before making this move?
00:23I guess there's always different considerations when you're making a move,
00:27whatever stage you're in, it's part of your journey.
00:30But I guess you're thinking about playing time and I know that that will be difficult
00:35and I have to prove myself to play here.
00:38But yeah, I guess playing alongside and training against some of the top elite professionals in the world
00:43is just a really exciting opportunity and really hard to turn down.
00:47You made such a big impact at Bristol City.
00:50Why now to join Manchester City at this stage of your career?
00:55With Bristol, I felt that the club gave me a lot and I learnt a lot and grew so much as a person there.
01:02But I felt that it was time for me to find a new challenge
01:08and I feel like Man City brings that challenge for me
01:13and I think that I needed to be stretched to keep growing.
01:17How important is it to be stretched to keep growing?
01:21Is that to your development and where you want to reach being here?
01:24It's hugely important. I think that you have to surround yourself with the best players
01:29and you have to keep challenging yourself in order to get better.
01:33And that if you're not uncomfortable sometimes, then you're probably going to find it quite hard to grow.
01:39And I think here, even meeting the girls and seeing some of the training,
01:44I think the standards and the expectations are really high
01:48and I'm just really excited to get involved.
01:51And how would you describe yourself as a player to the City fans?
01:56So I'd probably describe myself, I really love to defend.
02:01I love emergency defending and all that but I also really like to be on the ball
02:06and I think that City as a team are hugely in possession based
02:11and love to have the ball and love to create chances.
02:14And as a defender, I think it often starts from the back
02:18so I'm really excited to then be able to start attacks and get the ball moving
02:23and I like to play on the ball as well as defend.
02:26You alluded to it a little bit there but how do you think City can improve you as a player?
02:33Yeah, so I think as I mentioned previously, City have a lot of the ball
02:39and I think being at Bristol City, it may have been slightly different
02:44and that I had a lot of defending to do, especially last year in the WSL.
02:49And then to have the ball more and it's a different kind of game,
02:55even though you're playing the same position, you often find yourself in different scenarios
03:00so I think that it will really help that part of my game grow.
03:04And then just training against some of the forwards that are here and the midfielders,
03:08I think you can't really beat that challenge.
03:12So of course in training you'll be coming up against the likes of Bonnie Shaw and Lauren Hempen,
03:16our amazing attacking talent. How much are you relishing that challenge as well?
03:21I'm hugely looking forward to being able to come up against them in training.
03:26They're hugely talented, they make really intelligent runs and they're technically very, very good.
03:33And I think that if you challenge yourself against those players week in, week out,
03:37then when you come up against other teams and other top class players,
03:41you're more comfortable to deal with it and you feel more confident coming up against them.
03:45And I think that having the opportunity in training and then hopefully playing matches with them on your team,
03:51it's really exciting and should help me improve hugely.
03:56Only two seasons ago you helped Bristol City win the Championship.
04:01How can that experience of fighting for a league title help you in our pursuit of major honours as well?
04:08Well, I think that that season there was a lot going on.
04:13And I think it's always that finding a way to win in those moments is really important.
04:18There may be things going on behind the scenes that people don't know about,
04:22but it's about collectively coming together on a match day and in training days to then find a way to win
04:29and get things over the line because every point matters when you're sort of fighting to be at the top.
04:35And then fast forward a year, you won Bristol City's Young Player and Player of the Year as well.
04:40What did that mean to you specifically?
04:43I think I was just hugely honoured.
04:46I think especially getting Player's Player to be recognised by your team-mates is quite exciting.
04:52And then Young Player as well, it's nice to get the recognition by the fans and then also the coaching staff
04:58to show that your hard work counts.
05:00Football's always a team sport, but it's nice to get individual accolades as well.
05:05Does those moments provide even more motivation and desire to win things, not just individually, but as a team as well?
05:13Yeah, definitely. I think that last season was tough with Bristol City,
05:18but I think coming into a team that's fighting for four trophies potentially is really exciting.
05:24Getting the taste for what it's sometimes like to win something, it just makes you want more.
05:30You're never really satisfied with just getting there and then being happy with what you are.
05:37I think you're always striving to get better and win more things.
05:42You've also progressed through the various England youth levels as well.
05:46How has that experience helped you as a player?
05:49I think it's invaluable really to play internationally and, if you can, have the opportunity.
05:56Because it's a different style of play potentially, you're playing with different people and coaches
06:01and you have to come together in a different way to maybe club football.
06:06I think having the holistic experiences really helps you as a player to grow.
06:13Being away from home when you're younger and then playing against other top international teams
06:19is a different style of football potentially than league.
06:23Of course, you trained with the England seniors not too long ago. What was that experience like?
06:29It was really exciting. I was glad to be able to get the opportunity.
06:33It was nice to be on the same camp as them, to then see how the seniors worked and maybe integrate a little bit.
06:41And get the opportunity to train with them. It was really exciting for me.
06:45I didn't expect it at the time.
06:47But I guess when you're working hard and you're putting yourself in the position to get those opportunities,
06:53then you've got to just take them while you can.
06:56The girls were always really lovely and the training was really good and high level.
07:01I think now coming into environment at City, the training will be similar and probably more.
07:07I'm really excited to have had that experience and then hopefully more to come.
07:13You mentioned there about coming into the environment at City.
07:16How is rubbing shoulders with the elite players at the England camp going to help you in your transition to the squad here?
07:24I think at the end of the day, it's realising that every player is a human as well.
07:31Although they may have the great accolades that they've won and they may be the top class people that they are,
07:38but they're also top class people generally.
07:41I think that once you get past the starstruck aspect of it, being on the same pitch as them,
07:48you realise that you're not there by chance, that you've earned your way there.
07:54And there's a reason that you're rubbing shoulders with them.
07:57It's nice to know that they're people as well.
08:01What conversations have you had so far with the manager?
08:06I've had a few chats with Gareth and I think it's just trying to integrate myself with the team
08:13and learn the style of play because it's a very specific style of play which I'm really excited to be part of.
08:19I think just trying to take every opportunity that I can and build and grow as a player
08:26and hopefully be part of a winning team.
08:28I think I'm right in saying you made your WSL debut against City for Bristol City.
08:34Now sitting here as a City player, how does that feel?
08:37It's almost like a full circle moment.
08:39How does it feel now being a City player after making your debut in the WSL against them?
08:44It's quite strange really.
08:46I guess that match that I made my debut in was a tough day for us.
08:51But now to be on the side which is potentially winning those games week in week out is really exciting.
08:58And I think at that point if you asked me in four years you'll be putting on a City shirt
09:04I would have been super surprised and thought no way.
09:09But I guess looking back to where I was then and where I am now
09:13the person that I've grown into and the player that I'm becoming
09:16I'm really excited to kick that on.
09:18And we've seen that you'll wear the number three shirt at City
09:21taking over from Demi Stokes, a club legend.
09:24How does that feel for you to wear that shirt number as well?
09:28I think I'm really excited to wear the number three.
09:32When a starting number 11 shirt is available I think it's hard to turn it down.
09:38Especially as a young player coming in and hoping to be here for a long time
09:43that I can live up to Demi's legacy as a City player
09:46and carry on the numbers journey really.
09:52And what are you hoping to achieve at the club in the short term and the long term as well?
09:57I guess individually it's just trying to gain as much experience and opportunity as I can.
10:03And then for the team there's four competitions that we're in
10:08and I guess the aim is to win every competition that we can be in.
10:12And I think that's the aspiration of all the girls.
10:15And I think coming into the environment I've tried to take ownership of that as well.
10:20So I'm really looking forward to that.
10:22And just finally, what would your message to the City fans be?
10:26A message to the fans would just be that I'm really excited to be here and get going
10:31and I can't wait to play in front of all of you.
10:33Naomi, thank you so much for your time and welcome to the club.
10:42For more information visit www.fema.gov