Aoife Mannion: Road to Canada 2014 – Aoife on the Eve of a Fine Career

Catherine Etoe profiles Aoife Mannion for the Road to Canada series. The 18-year-old sixth former joined Birmingham City the previous August and has gone on to star in the Champions League and FAWSL as well as for England’s Under-19s, with Blues manager David Parker calling her a future leader with massive potential. Mannion rates the year a nine or ten, picking out the Champions League campaign and the Under-19 Euro finals, and describes the goalless draw with Tyreso as the moment it felt like the final was genuinely possible. On facing Marta and Seger she says the challenge was balancing respect for their ability with putting her own stamp on the game. She describes herself as defensive-minded, aggressive and fond of a one-v-one battle, and is excited by possible Under-20 World Cup selection.