Naomi Layzell on signing for Manchester City women

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Naomi Layzell on signing for Manchester City women   18/08/2024  CGA, Manchester, UK

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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

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