‘We are just massively proud of her’
A DREAM has come true much sooner than the Le Tissier family had dared to even hope.
When 20-year-old Maya made her full England debut on Tuesday night, playing the full 90 minutes in the 1-1 draw with Norway in Spain, it did not complete a journey but it was another huge step in what has already been a remarkable story for a young Sarnian whose father had to push for rule changes so she could play alongside boys growing up.
‘Coming from our little place, it has been a different journey where we have had to face issues and get rules changed when she was coming through,’ said Darren Le Tissier, who was also his daughter’s coach when she was a junior at St Martin’s.
‘I remember in schools football Maya was initially not allowed to play and I had to find the right people to talk to and cajole them into allowing her to play – we had it at local schools’ football, then CI schools and then at south-west level, but every one was a part of the FA and they needed to follow the same regulations, so I was always on to a winner once we started.
‘I remember telling her “it’s not just about you Maya, it’s about the other girls to come too”.’
Memorably, she became a Guernsey football pioneer by being the first girl to represent the Island in the Star Trophy and the U16 Muratti, before moving away to pursue her dream, firstly with Brighton & Hove Albion for four years and now at Manchester United.
‘She left when she was 16, had to sacrifice a lot and dedicate herself, but, my God, in the space of four years to go from sixth form and in the Brighton Academy to playing for England, the grounding she had playing boys’ football in a really talented Saints youth side has really helped her,’ Darren said.
This month’s call up to the Lionesses squad brought with it great excitement and, according to her dad, Maya would have been delighted just to get the opportunity to train with the squad, but the chance that she might win her first cap either against Japan or Norway ensured her family made the trip too.
‘In the Friday game the Lionesses were totally dominant over Japan, we were in the stand and we could see Maya was not warming up as the subs were coming, so we thought “maybe not tonight”,’ said her dad.
‘But we had all gone down there with the thought that we would not want to miss it if she played, but we were not really expecting either, so it was a bit of a catch-22.
‘For Maya, just to be involved in that environment and taking that next step in her journey, building relationships with those other players, was really good in itself.
‘But then she let me know on Monday afternoon ... it was a “guess what?” sort of message and normally it’s good news when she does that and she said “I’m starting”. Everyone was just so pleased and excited for her.’
With his coach’s hat on, Darren added that, watching her live, Maya ‘looked sound in that environment’.
‘She started playing at right-back, which she has not really done since she left Brighton, then 15 minutes into the second half she went to centre-back.
‘I thought she did really well taking into account the nerves you’d expect her to have, though we are more stressed than she is when she plays.
‘As a family, we are just massively proud of her.’
