Every young football fan has the same dream growing up. From the first moment they clamber up the steps and out of the concourse at their first ever game, they want to play on the pitch they see before them; they want to hear thousands of fans roar their name; they want to score for their club.
Only a sliver of those who go through that all-so-common moment of hypnotism will ever be able to see it become a reality, but some do.
Diane Caldwell never stopped dreaming. The Manchester United and Ireland defender grew up with the ambition to one day grace the same turf as her idols Roy Keane and David Beckham, and even though the club didn’t even have a senior women’s team until 2018, that didn’t faze her.
More than 20 years after that moment, she’s finally going to be able to make it happen.
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“When I was a kid I said to myself that I was going to play here one day”, Caldwell tells i. “I don’t know how I thought I would at that point but to actually finally get here and to play on that soil will be such a remarkable experience. I won’t know how to put that into words.”
The 33-year-old posted a picture which sums up the extent of her support when she signed earlier this year. A young Caldwell is sat on her bed clad in a United shirt, and surrounding her is a sea of red and white – the whole room dedicated to her club.
That young girl was blessed to be born at the right time. Her childhood memories are of global dominance, but there’s one that sticks out. It’s the one that will stick out for any supporter who lived through the 90s.
“One of the most pivotal moments for me is the treble win in ‘99,” she continues. “It was just a phenomenal year.
“It was always ‘Can we do it? Can we win all three?’ and they were knocking one down, then the second and then the third. I’ll never forget that year. It was just phenomenal to watch that and that team.
“I really loved that team, all of the players and all of the characters that were involved. Roy Keane was a big idol of mine, an Irish legend and a United captain. I just really admired him and the way he led and played himself.”
Caldwell had last played football when the American league ended in November, but was immediately thrust back into first-team football after injuries to Millie Turner and Aoife Mannion, the centre-back pairing up to that point.
Shifting from sepia-tinted memories to the present, she says: “It’s been a whirlwind. I signed at the end of January before the deadline and unfortunately for some players, they had a lot of injuries. I was thrown into it but just relished the challenge and was really appreciative of the opportunity to play and show what I can do because that’s the only way, in a game environment.”
While the road has been rocky, things seem on the up for United’s women’s team. i understands that 28,500 tickets had been sold as of Friday, and that number will only go up by the time the game comes around.
These sorts of games can be catalysts for growth in the women’s game, and for United especially, this is a noteworthy moment. While the club did it last year, this is the first time supporters will be present and it’s an historic occasion – the sort which Caldwell thinks is important.
“You’ve seen the Champions League being played at the Allianz Arena of Bayern Munich and the Emirates with Arsenal,” adds Caldwell. “You need to give the game those sorts of venues to give it that credibility that ‘look, this is a showcase, this is a showpiece’ and when you back it with a venue and with marketing and fans it can only grow and make it better.
“That’s the only real way that you’ll get respect because it will put bums on seats – unless you have people able to watch it then it’s never going to grow.”
The location will grab the headlines, but for United it will also be viewed as just another league game in a tight battle for European qualification. They are undoubtedly the favourites, but sitting level with Manchester City they can’t afford to drop any points.
After falling late on last year, they won’t want to repeat that again.
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