Crystal Palace's Aimee Everett on captaining the Eagles in their maiden WSL campaign, becoming a centre-back, aims for a future with the Lionesses and more; watch Crystal Palace vs Chelsea in the Barclays WSL live on Sky Sports Premier League from 7pm on Friday; kick-off 7.30pm
Thursday 26 September 2024 17:06, UK
It goes without saying that the last year has been the most notable of Aimee Everett's short football career to date.
The 23-year-old lifted the Women's Championship title for the second time in April, this time with Crystal Palace, having previously done so during her time at Leicester in 2020/21 - and, on this occasion, she did it as captain.
She is now one of only two captains under the age of 30 in the Barclays WSL, with the other being Manchester United's Maya Le Tissier, who took over the armband after the departure of Katie Zelem.
Last Sunday, she led Laura Kaminski's Eagles out for their first ever top flight fixture in their history. This Friday night, they welcome Chelsea to Selhurst Park, live on Sky Sports Premier League. It has been quite the rise.
"Coming away with a loss is not what we wanted," she says, reminded of the opening 4-0 defeat at the hands of Tottenham at Brisbane Road.
"Every game is going to be a test. I was proud of the girls for going out there and trying to compete at the top level.
"It's a very different game to what we were used to last year, but Laura said in her post-match interview about moving forward week by week and trying improve on that performance from week one.
"If we come away with points from that then that's great, but the most we can do is compete and show what we can do at this level."
There is no doubt Everett has crammed a lot in already, but it might have been a lot different had football not worked out for her the way it has.
"When I was at Liverpool in the U23s, I didn't really know much about the women's game, if I'm being honest," she says. "I feel like women's football wasn't really that big then."
"When I was leaving school, all my mates wanted to do hair and beauty, which wasn't a bit of me!
"I've got two older brothers and grew up in an environment where I was outside with the boys all the time, so I went and did an electrical apprenticeship!"
A packed week consisted of four days working at Spirit Energy's Barrow Gas Terminals, one day at college, two or three days training, with Sunday's match the conclusion of one cycle before the start of the next.
The graft has paid off, with a future in electrical engineering put on the backburner indefinitely and a promising future in the top flight of women's football ahead.
In the not too distant past, Everett would have wished to be leading the line in doing so, but she has forged a new path since then.
"I actually was a No 9 growing up. [Crystal Palace team-mate] Annabel Blanchard and I used to compete for the No 9 shirt when we were growing up playing for England.
"I played centre midfield in my first year at Palace, but I've just settled in that centre-back role now. It suits me a lot better than running the channels as No 9!
"I feel very comfortable in that position, but I'm still learning, still developing and just trying to learn from those around me.
"There are a lot of fantastic centre-halves in this league and I do watch a lot of them, but everyone's different in their own way. I'm trying to see what I'm good at and trying to develop the areas I need to work on."
She has the same approach to being captain; playing to her own strengths.
"A lot of captains lead in different ways and some are louder than others. I wouldn't say that's personally my style. I keep reminding myself that who I am is why I've been chosen to that and lead by example.
"But it's not just me. We've got a lot of leaders that don't wear the armband that put in the work week after week."
Everett played for England up to U19 level, but playing outside of the top flight means she probably has not been on Sarina Wiegman's radar over the last few years. She will be hoping that will change soon, though.
"If that wasn't mine or someone else's aim, what's the point in playing football? You want to try and make it to the top and reach the best level you can.
"I had a taste of that as a kid growing up, going through the age groups, so I know what it's about. Now it's a very difficult task, but that is something in the future I would like to aim for and I'd be stupid not to."
Should she get there, she will do it as part of a team of underdogs.
"It's no secret we are the newcomers into the league and it's going to be a difficult year for us," she says, frankly.
"It's different to last year when we had a bit of pressure on us towards the end of the season, but we were expected to go and win the league, whereas this year, that pressure is completely different and almost gone, in a way.
"Being the underdogs can work in our favour and we can go into those games confident, with nothing to lose and just give it our best shot."
Watch Crystal Palace vs Chelsea in the Barclays WSL live on Sky Sports Premier League from 7pm on Friday night; kick-off 7.30pm.
