A PROMISING teenage footballer from Stalybridge has reached another impressive milestone in her fledgling career.
Neve McDonald, who is 16 years old, will never forget the moment she made her debut for Liverpool FC’s women’s team – against their Merseyside rivals Everton, no less.
With the side 2-0 up in their final Women’s League Cup group-stage contest on December 11, she came on as a substitute in the 77th minute to replace Ceri Holland.
Neve almost made the dream start as she converted a bouncing cross inside the box but her goal was ruled out for offside. She was on the field for two more goals as the Reds ran out 4-0 winners.
The teenager, who turns 17 in January, said she was absolutely thrilled to be given the opportunity by manager Matt Beard to make her senior debut and grateful for the faith that he showed in her.
Neve kept her place in the squad for Liverpool Women’s next match four days later – their last outing of 2024 against Arsenal in the Women’s Super League, which was screened live on Sky Sports.
Although she didn’t get onto the pitch on this occasion as the Reds lost 1-0 at St Helens Stadium, it was another valuable learning experience for Neve.
Neve’s dad Stuart told the Correspondent both him and his wife Suzanne are very proud of her, after working hard during the season so far with Liverpool’s Under-21s team.
It’s been quite the year for the former Longdendale High School pupil, who has long harboured ambitions to be a professional footballer.
She made her debut for Scotland Women’s Under-16s in April against Switzerland, before making the step up to the Under-17s in October after attending a selection camp.
During that month, Neve appeared three times in three different victories for the team in their qualifiers at Broadwood Stadium in Cumbernauld, ahead of next summer’s European Championship in Faroe Islands.
She had an impact on her debut against Iceland, scoring and providing an assist in a 2-0 win – before coming on as a sub in a 1-0 triumph over Northern Ireland and then playing the full 90 minutes in a 2-1 success against Poland.
Neve started playing around six years old and attended Dukinfield Youth Soccer School on Saturdays.
She played for them at Under-8s and Under-9s level, before moving to Stalybridge Celtic Juniors in the East Manchester Junior Football League.
After attending trials for Manchester City’s Under-10s Girls Academy, Neve successfully earned a place and stayed at the club for six seasons before making the switch to Liverpool’s Under-16s last year.
She has now become a regular this season for the club’s Under-21s after being given a two-year contract, which includes attending higher education on site at their Melwood training base.