Over the course of the next four days Jersey Women will travel to Scotland for two matches against Stirling University Women.

The games will be played on Thursday 2 September and Saturday h September, and will provide a good test for the island's women’s side, and a chance for a run out together after so long apart. 

Daniel Andrade caught up with joint head-coach Fiona McKinnon-Fox ahead of the trip.

How good is it to get back out there training with the team again after a long time away?

It’s going to be amazing to have all the team back together, players & coaches, as it’s been a tough 18 months for everyone & getting back to a bit or normality is a great feeling. Having 2 games off island is really exciting after so long and the team is excited to be pulling on a Jersey shirt again.

How prepared are you for this trip - how did it come about?

As prepared as we can be. We’ve had great training sessions in the past 2 weeks and worked on our formation and how we would like to play and everyone has really put in the effort and commitment.

It came about after I was in contact with Tim Jones, who is the coach of the Stirling University team we are playing. He used to be my coach at St John’s ladies in Jersey and we’ve spoken before about arranging a friendly as soon as COVID restrictions were relaxed, and we could travel off island. Dave Kennedy and the JFA have done a great job arranging this and pulling it altogether.

How is the squad looking? Many new faces?

Yes, I would say we’ve got a number of youngsters coming through who are going to experience their first time playing for Jersey which is great. We’ve also got a few players who have previously played for Jersey but not in the last few years coming back into the squad which is important as they bring a huge amount of experience to the team. It’s a great mix of players and we are really looking forward to not only these two games but working together over the next few months and hopefully securing more games.

How happy are you with the quality of women’s football on the island?

I think this upcoming season is going to be a good one, and already from seeing the pre-season friendlies, teams are looking strong and it will hopefully be a competitive season for everyone. We are also excited about the potential of a Muratti at the end of this season which will be a massive boost for players (and fans) who have missed this fixture the few years, as that is the game people are eager to see return.

You going over there to win the games - how confident are for that to happen?

They are a very good side who play in a strong league and it will be a challenge for sure, but we always go into games to win and I am confident in the team that whatever happens over the two games, they will give their all on the pitch. We have worked hard in training to adapt to different situations/scenarios, and we can hopefully show the talent we have in the team. It’s an amazing opportunity for the team to play different opposition and to get out there playing for Jersey.

Kick off on the Thursday is at 7:30pm before a 2:30pm kick off on Saturday! Good luck, ladies!

Squad: Amy Tierney, Holly Muirhead, Libby Barnett, Lauren Quemard, Roisin Flynn, Aine Ruth, Daniella Da Silva, Louise Van Der Vliet, Lisa Mclaughlin, Sammy Silva, Tara Marie, Hannah Campbell, Sara Luce.