It’s always a daunting experience moving clubs at a young age, let alone hundreds of miles away from where you grew up – but defender Lucy Barraclough has relished the experience so far at Hotspur Way.
In the ‘Making of a Lilywhite’ series, we sat down with Lucy to talk about her footballing journey so far and get to know her a bit better…
Her early years in football…
“Football has always been part of my family. When I was younger, I used to play in the garden with my brother all the time, my grandad would play with us and, sometimes, all my cousins were involved too. From that, I realised I was quite good, so I started playing grassroots football when I was about six years old.
“I usually played in both boys’ and girls’ sides. I trained with the boys occasionally, but I competed in matches with girls. I played grassroots football a couple of years above my age for about three seasons, while also playing county football. I actually won Player of the League for a team while playing two years above my age. I was smaller than everyone else, so winning that meant a lot to me. I was absolutely buzzing!
“When I got to around Under-9s, I trained with Manchester United through their development programme, as they didn’t have an age group at that level. Later, I signed properly and was there through Under-10s, before moving to Manchester City, where I stayed for about five years.
Moving to north London and joining Spurs…
“I have really liked it [moving down to London]. It’s very different from Manchester, but in a good way. We have a flat in London, so we go back and forth. My mum works in London, which helps, but my parents have always been really supportive and willing to do whatever they can to help me with football.
“We were just looking at different options [prior to joining Spurs] and we didn’t want to limit ourselves geographically. My parents were willing to do whatever it took to help me progress in football. Spurs felt right because of the coaches and the overall environment.
“The whole experience has been great so far, I’ve really enjoyed it. I feel like I’ve come a long way - both as a player and as a person. The coaches, especially Nick [Hardy], have helped me improve a lot and taught me things I want to carry with me in the future.
First team experience…
“It was really good. It helped me improve a lot and boosted my confidence. Everything is quicker and more intense, and it’s a lot more serious. I was nervous at first - especially when I was the only younger player involved - but it was a great learning experience. When I later played with the Under-19s, I felt sharper and more confident because of it.
“Growing up, I was mainly a winger. I even played as a number 10 for a while. When I was at City, they had lots of midfielders, so I was kept out wide. At Liverpool, they played with wing backs, which is where I started transitioning into a full-back. I really enjoy being there now and seeing the experienced players in training allow me to see areas where I can improve my game even further. It's all about learning and building myself while trying to make an impact in the Academy set-up.”