The She Kicks Locker Room: Safe Hands With Jackie Burns

Northern Ireland’s number one started all three EURO 2022 group games and has followed that with a first season competing for the number-one shirt at Reading. Jackie Burns picks a penalty save against Kim Little on her WSL debut as her favourite of the year, having since added another from Katie Zelem, and says the trick is simply to stay calm. She came to the position late, at eight, when a training game rotated her into goal and she never came out. She rates her height and her willingness to claim crosses, admires van der Sar and Schmeichel, and loves the hot pink Northern Ireland shirt she wore against Italy. What she wishes outfielders understood is how mentally challenging it is.