Home Is Where The Holte Is

Chris Brookes interviews Aston Villa’s right-back, back at the club she supported, played for as a child and was once a mascot for, having joined from Birmingham City in the summer. Mayling describes sitting in the Holte End with her father and brother, playing for Villa in the morning and watching them in the afternoon, and still looking for her seat behind the goal when she plays at Villa Park. Her initiation song was Don’t Look Back in Anger, the squad leaving her hanging until the chorus. She explains becoming a free-kick taker after hiring a pitch almost daily in lockdown, following manager Carla Ward from Birmingham, and rating Leah Galton and Lauren Hemp the hardest opponents. Ruesha Littlejohn is the rowdiest and Gemma Davison the one she wants on her side in training.