Emily Scarr hopes her SSE Women’s FA Cup player of the round award can be the catalyst for more trophies at Middlesbrough this season.
With her side 2-1 down to Liverpool Marshall Feds at half-time, the 18-year-old scored a free-kick to inspire a second-half comeback and then netted the winner late in extra time as Boro won a rollercoaster third round tie 4-3.
A young Middlesbrough side had to dig deep into their energy reserves to turn the game around, but Scarr was proud to scoop the prize.
“I’m delighted to win this award, it’s amazing. The winner is probably the best goal I’ve scored this season. It’s The FA Cup so it means so much to me.
“There was so much relief when I scored the winner and this award just caps off a brilliant experience.”
Alongside their run to the fourth round, where they will travel to Aston Villa, Middlesbrough sit five points clear at the top of The FA Women’s Premier League Northern Division One with a game in hand.
Scarr, who has scored 20 goals in just 16 matches this season, believes the secret to their success is the team’s togetherness, fostered by manager Lindsey Stephenson.
She added: “I love how together we are as a team, how we’ve bonded as a team, helping each other out in difficult moment and push each other on.
“Lindsey is brilliant for me; she lets me play my best. We are training twice a week, and in bad weather she tells us we have to come and we have to win the league so there is no missing training or games.
“She keeps pushing us all the way.”
For Scarr herself, further recognition at international level is a big motivation.
She has recently returned from a five-day England youth training camp in Finland where she was the only representative from a Premier League Northern Division side.
Scarr said: “All the players there played in higher leagues. I am in the lowest league and I didn’t know anyone.
“It was hard because I didn’t know many people, and their standing is really high. I tried my best to show my ability and hopefully that will be enough.
“Playing for my country is something I really want to achieve.”
