Katie Zelem: Man Utd captain on her 'rollercoaster' ride to FA Cup final
Last updated on .From the section Women's Football
| Women's FA Cup Final - Chelsea v Manchester United |
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| Date: Sunday, 14 May Venue: Wembley Stadium, London Kick-off: 14.30 BST |
| Coverage: Watch live on BBC One, BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport online. Listen on BBC Radio 5 Live & BBC Sounds & follow live text coverage on the BBC Sport website and app. |
Katie Zelem grew up watching her beloved Manchester United deliver trophy after trophy - in the men's game. But she did not have a women's team to look up to.
Now she has the chance to fulfil her childhood dream when she leads her team out at Wembley Stadium for their first Women's FA Cup final appearance.
"When I was younger and started playing, I didn't really have any female role models," said the 27-year-old midfielder.
She joined the club's academy when she was eight but had to leave when she turned 17 to kickstart her professional career as United had disbanded their senior women's team in 2005. She moved to Liverpool, then to Juventus.
When United reformed in 2018, Zelem did not hesitate to return - even though they were in the Championship at the time.
Having helped the club's rise to the top of the Women's Super League, Zelem will captain them against Chelsea in Sunday's FA Cup final, as they seek their first major trophy.
"It's a club I've been at for a really long time now and supported my whole life. I think it's what childhood dreams are made of," she said.
"Manchester United lives firmly in my heart. Captaining Manchester United and making my debut, then this moment, will certainly be up there in my highlights."
'It's almost immeasurable' - Man Utd's five-year journey
Since reforming five years ago, Manchester United's women's team have grown on and off the pitch.
They train full-time at Carrington, where the men's team is based, and crowds have risen at their regular home, Leigh Sports Village, since promotion to the WSL in 2019.
Their occasional appearances at Old Trafford have also attracted 20,000-plus crowds.
United have finished fourth in three successive league campaigns, missing out on a Champions League qualification spot, but remain on course for a league-cup double this year.
"It's a bit surreal to be honest. When I first signed five years ago, everyone came from different backgrounds, different experiences," said Zelem.
"It was my childhood club but I'd just won the league and got into the Champions League at Juventus so it was a huge gamble for me to come back and play in the Championship.
"If you look back to where we were then to where we are now, it's a crazy journey. It's been a real rollercoaster with ups and downs. We've certainly come on leaps and bounds.
"From some girls, [having] never played full-time to now being at this stage of the season competing for the double - it's almost immeasurable.
"If in another five years we're that far advanced, then Manchester United will certainly be one of the biggest teams in Europe. I'm so proud to have been a part of the whole journey."
The 'originals' sharing a special bond
Zelem will be one of four players in Sunday's squad who graduated from United's academy and returned under former manager Casey Stoney in 2018.
For young girls coming through the United ranks now, there is an opportunity to play for the first team immediately, which was not the case for Zelem.
"There are four originals left and it's a bond that we'll always share," said Zelem.
"It is something that I'm most proud of - no matter how much we win - it's such a proud feeling knowing that we can inspire the next generation.
"There's people that can look up to us and want to be like us, follow in our footsteps. For them to have the pathway to come through, makes it much easier for them and that is amazing."
'This is the turning season'
Having joined the WSL late, United have had to play catch-up to England's most successful women's clubs - Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City.
But Zelem believes that United, top of the league and in a first FA Cup final, can finally shrug off the "underdogs" tag.
"Definitely in previous seasons, we've gone into these sorts of games as the underdogs and now we don't feel like that's the case at all," she added.
"We don't change now for other teams, whereas maybe in the first few seasons it was more about staying in the game, taking a point or nicking a win.
"Now we dominate possession, we dominate the ball. We genuinely believe we can win and that's what we accept now."
Success on Sunday could be just the start for United.
"I think this is just a baseline of where we want to be," said Zelem. "We've always said we want to be in the Champions League and have always been close but not close enough.
"This is the turning season. It used to be the top three... and Manchester United. Now it's solidly a top four. We know we can compete and win things."
