ℹ️PERS. INFORMATION
Name: Lucy Ronald
Date of birth: 25/01/2002
Place of birth: Glasgow
Nationality: Scottish
Language: English
Club: Motherwell FC Women
Favourite position: CDM
Favourite foot: Right
⚽️CLUB HISTORY
| Club | Years |
|---|---|
| Glasgow City FC | Youth |
| Hibernian FC Women | 2020 – 2021 |
| Glasgow Girls and Women FC | 2021 – 2022 |
| Motherwell FC Women | 2022 – |
🎙️ INTERVIEW
Introduce yourself…
My names Lucy Ronald, I’m 24 years old and currently play for Motherwell Women who play in the SWPL1.
Which aspects of your technical game are you most proud of?
I think I’m a player who likes to play passing football, I like to keep the game simple and think I am composed on the ball most times which is probably what I’m proudest of.
How do you prepare tactically for different opponents?
There’s a lot that goes on behind the scenes to make sure we are prepared come a Sunday, I think regardless of who I’m playing from a personal point I prepare similarly as I don’t like too much change.
You came through the system at Glasgow City FC and captained their development side to a league title. How did that experience shape your understanding of leadership at such a young age?
Yeah that was a great season for me and really allowed me to gain confidence at such a young age. It was a great group we had at Glasgow City who were very successful all through the youth ages so it was an honour to captain that team.
How did your time at Glasgow Women FC prepare you for senior football and promotion battles?
Glasgow Women was so important for my development as a young player. SWPL2 is so competitive and playing week in and week out was important for me at that age. Getting promoted with them was to this day one of the best days of my career so far.
At just 18, you were leading a side pushing for promotion, did that pressure change you as a player or person?
I think as a player and the kind of captain I was at both youth level and senior level has never really changed with pressure. I wouldn’t say I’m a very loud captain but I like to go about my business quietly and tried to keep things calm when the pressure did mount towards the end of that season. But it definitely gave me a lot of confidence when moving to Motherwell the following season.
Winning the 2022/23 Player of the Season award was a standout moment. What did that recognition mean to you personally?
Yeah that was amazing for me and my family. It was my first season playing SWPL1 football and going into it I didn’t have much expectation to be in the starting 11 let alone getting player of the season. I had also ruptured my acl a few weeks before which was devastating so to get that recognition at a time I was feeling really low was nice.
Suffering a significant ACL injury can be mentally and physically draining. What was the toughest moment during your rehabilitation?
The whole journey from the surgery to the rehab was really difficult. I think I found it really hard the period where you are in the gym yourself and the days are very mundane and repetitive. I think anyone who has suffered an acl injury will agree, it can be really demotivating at times as it is such a long process and can’t be rushed. I also found it really hard to watch on a Sunday and know that I couldn’t impact what happened on the pitch.
When you made your return and clocked more than 20 appearances last season, did you feel like the same player or a different one?
If I’m being honest i definitely felt different last season. It’s a difficult injury to come back from and mine wasn’t the smoothest comeback either, I found myself on the sidelines again quite quickly with various niggles. However in the turn of the year, I managed to get myself back into the team and felt I had found a bit of form again.
What attracted you most to Motherwell FC Women? And how would you describe your role within the current squad?
I think when I joined, Paul and Leanne as the coaching staff was the biggest influence as to why I came to Motherwell. With both their experience and knowledge of the game, I felt they could really help me get to the next level. I think now I would say my role in the team is growing into more of a leadership role as I have been at the club for a number of years now and as much as it pains me to say it, I’m no longer one of the young ones.
