Maya ‘will be a key part of what we do’
GUERNSEY football star Maya Le Tissier described her Manchester United debut on Saturday as ‘unreal’, after scoring from two set pieces and keeping a clean sheet against Reading at Leigh Valley Sports Village.
‘I don’t think it can get much better than that,’ she said of a game which dad Darren attended in a surprise visit.
Having joined from Brighton & Hove Albion in the summer, she has now scored as many goals in one game for her new club as she scored in 75 appearances for the south coast club.
She opened the scoring in what was the Reds’ first Women’s Super League match of the season – with the previous week’s match away to Spurs having been postponed – netting with a volley from a corner after just four minutes in front of a record crowd at the home venue.
With her side 2-0 up, she then doubled her tally in the 25th minute with a thumping header, also from a corner. It finished 4-0.
The 20-year-old was not signed for her scoring prowess, however, and will take as much encouragement from her display at the heart of Manchester United’s defence, as well as from her player of the match accolade.
Le Tissier’s new manager Marc Skinner praised her performance, saying she could become a star of the future.
‘She will be a key part of what we do moving forward,’ he said.
‘In lots of moments today, she was really mature and aggressive when she needed to be. We’re not just going to get goals from her but solid performances from the back and progression with the ball. She has forward-playing ability and can strike the ball really well. Her passing range is excellent. Her maturity and concentration and all these things – she has a lot of the tools.’
• Manchester United’s next match is away to West Ham at the Chigwell Construction Stadium, Dagenham at 3pm on Sunday.
