Casey Stoney talks Man United

The first-ever manager of Manchester United Women talks debut-season dominance and two-hour chats with Ole

You’re ranked among the pioneers of women’s football in England, so how does that make you feel?

I’m proud to be part of the era that has taken the women’s game to where it is now, and I’m very grateful to those who went before me and helped me get the opportunities I had. I didn’t receive any financial rewards – I just did what I did because I love the game. I’m proud of where women’s football is at now, and of the tiny part I’ve played in its history.

When you see the rise of the women’s game now, do you wish you could have your time all over again?

I said to someone just today that I wish I’d been born 20 years later! No, I don’t really, because I learned so much from having a full-time job and having to get up and train before I went to work. That experience instilled a work ethic in me, and helped me to build morals around being in a place where hard work and doing the right thing is non-negotiable.

Do you have a standout moment from a playing career spanning 20 years? It’ll forever be walking out at Wembley for the Olympics in 2012 – I remember leading the team out in front of 70,000 people and every hair on my body stood up. I was thinking about everything I’d ever gone through – all of the hard work was for that. You can’t buy moments like that and no one can take it away from me. It was a proud few weeks. It would have been prouder if we’d won a medal.

When did you know that you wanted to become a manager?

I’ve always had a passion for coaching. I watched an interview I did when I first got called up for England at 16 years old, and they asked me what my long-term goals were. I said, ‘I want to be England manager one day!’ I did my Level Two at 16 and have coached throughout my career, so I’ve effectively had 21 years of experience. I didn’t know if I’d be any good until I had a go, though. It comes with challenges and stress, but it’s such a privilege to do what you love each day.

How are you managing the pressure of coaching such a high-profile club? If I didn’t want pressure, I wouldn’t have accepted the job! It’s Manchester United and it comes with a lot of expectations. I manage it by getting up at 5am every morning and doing my exercises – that keeps me sane. I’ve got three beautiful children and a family that I come home to every night, which helps me to keep perspective. I try to prioritise and worry only about the things that I can control.

Do you have much interaction with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer?

Ole has invited me into his office a few times. The last time I was with him, we spent two hours talking about football! His daughter plays in our academy side, so he comes down to watch the games. I’ve never had that with any other club. Ole’s great and we genuinely get on as people. We’ve got a mutual respect for

each other and it’s brilliant to be able to pick his brains about certain things and vice versa. It’s part of the collaborative and integrated approach here at United.

You beat Aston Villa 12-0 in the side’s first-ever game last season. How hard was it not to get carried away?

I was a bit nervous that day, and I’m not really a nervous person. You never know how you’re going to do right at the start, because you don’t actually know where you’re at. I wasn’t entirely satisfied with the performance, believe it or not. I think the players feel I’m harsh sometimes – they’ve won 12-0 and I’m talking about 15-minute periods at the start and end. I always tell them not to be complacent. You’re only as good as your last game.

How do you assess United’s start to the Women’s Super League season?

I think we’re on track to where we want to be. The players are incredible to work with; they all train really hard every day, and we try to create a culture focused on hard work and discipline. At the same time, I want it to be a fun environment where people want to flourish and can make mistakes. The first two games of the season were hard for us; Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium and then at home to the champions, Arsenal. We’ve learned a lot about ourselves since then.

What are your ambitions this season? We set our goals at the beginning of the season and they haven’t changed. We’re not going to get carried away – I believe a top-half finish would be a very good season, bearing in mind we’ve just come up. We’re still establishing ourselves in this division and several of our players hadn’t played in the WSL before. Some success in the cups would be fantastic.

How realistic a goal is hosting games at Old Trafford?

We need to put more money into our marketing strategy. I want to fill out our stadium in Leigh regularly, and I want to make it a ground that people familiarise themselves with first. There are ongoing talks about playing at Old Trafford, but it needs to be the right opportunity at the right time. Right now as a head coach, it’s not something I actually want to do.

And is managing the Lionesses still your ultimate ambition?

If I’m honest, my one and only focus is Manchester United. I’m so happy where I am, loving the day-to-day of working with players and being out on the grass. Fabien Fougeray

Casey’s new book, ‘Changing The Game: Fantastic Female Footballers’, is out now