The Big Kick Off: Claire Rafferty

Chelsea defender Claire Rafferty picks a pre-season trip to Glasgow as her highlight, three days together with a Sunday fixture giving the squad time to bond and focus off the pitch. The running and fitness work is least enjoyable at the outset but she comes to like it, and their periodisation training leaves everyone raring to go by the first game. Her aims are to maintain fitness, stay injury free, win silverware and make the World Cup squad. A personal chauffeur would ease a nightmare commute from training to work, and David Beckham is her celebrity fan of choice because his interest would attract far more supporters to games. She picks Laura Coombs to dress her for a day, fancies stand-up comedy, and predicts Chelsea will go one better and finish top.