Celtic Women’s captain Kelly Clark says she can’t wait to continue making history when she leads the team out for the first ever SWPL Flag Day at Celtic Park tomorrow (Saturday).
“I can’t wait for tomorrow,” she said. “It almost feels like an extended celebration with the fans, and that’s important.”
“I am so proud that we are the first to host a Flag Day and I can’t wait to perform at Celtic Park again.
“We will do our best to be the best version of ourselves and deliver a performance that the fans will like.”
“I’m pretty sure a lot of fans were stressed on the last day of the season before we scored the winning goal in the 89th minute.
“Tomorrow you have the opportunity to come and hopefully watch some good football in a much less stressful environment!”
The SWPL champions recently returned from a pre-season tour of Sweden, where they took on Djugarden and Hammarby as part of their intensified preparations for next season. Clark says their trip has been crucial in helping the new additions settle into the team. Of their pre-season, Clark said: “Getting to know the new players on and off the pitch I think is really important and one of the things that helped us have such great success last year. “The most important thing we are learning is how to play together on the pitch, how they fit into our system, how we adapt to their strengths and really make sure we are ready for tomorrow.” “It’s not an easy game and we approach it without complacency. We are champions but we still have a job to do and that starts tomorrow.” Clark became the first Celtic Women captain to win the championship in May and, ahead of her team’s title defence this season, the captain says wearing the captain’s armband is a source of pride that only grows. “I’m more proud every season to lead the team,” she said. “And of course, leading them this year as defending champions was probably never expected before the last couple of years.”
“It’s a great honour, it’s a great club and I love representing it on and off the pitch.
“To lead a group of girls that you really like as people before you love playing with them as professionals means a lot.”
Celtic Women vs Dundee United Women – Saturday, 10 August 2024, 13:00
