Emma Higgins

An interview with Emma Higgins, Northern Ireland’s number one and one of four standby players who travelled, trained and lived the Olympic experience with Team GB. Higgins had injured her shoulder three weeks earlier and was at home with family when Hope Powell called; she agreed without hesitation. She rejects the idea that standby was pressure-free, arguing that any goalkeeper could have been injured and she would have had to step in. She plays in Iceland for KR, short for Knattspyrnufelag Reykjavikur, and works as a masseur in the water at the Blue Lagoon geothermal spa. She describes Icelandic women being treated almost as equals to the men, with the same pitches and televised highlights, and would like the chance to play in the Super League.