Safe Hands: Sandy MacIver (Clemson Tigers)

Sandy MacIver was a striker until thirteen or fourteen and only went in goal at Crewe because the keeper kept getting injured; Everton and Liverpool both then offered her places as a goalkeeper and she thought she would give it a go. She now plays college football for Clemson in the United States. Her favourite drill is goalie wars, two goals twenty yards apart and keepers belting the ball at each other. She keeps a running argument with the England centre back Grace Fisk over which position carries more responsibility, and makes the case that hers does: she can save a defender’s mistake, and nobody is behind her to save hers. Mentally, she says, it is a tough position.