Lauder lauds ‘brilliant’ Girasoli

GLASGOW City and Scotland midfielder Hayley Lauder admits she and her team-mates have been amazed by the level of consistency shown by 16-year-old Carly Girasoli since she broke into the first team in May, writes Alan Campbell.

The central defender, who is a fifth year pupil at Lourdes Secondary, scored on her first start against Rangers, having made her debut as a substitute against Aberdeen last year when she was only 15.

She had to get special dispensation from her school to make the trip to Cyprus for the first leg of the Champions League last-32 tie against Somatio Barcelona a fortnight ago.

Girasoli will also have tomorrow to prepare for the evening’s televised home leg at Petershill Park. Should the Scottish champions, who won the away game 2-0, close the tie out, there will be the round of 16 – potentially against one of the top clubs in Europe – to look forward to in October.

“Carly has been brilliant,” Lauder said. “I don’t think anybody expected this level from her so consistently.

“She had two or three top games when she came in and you’re thinking – right, maybe next week she’s going to have a shocker. But it’s not happened and for a 16-year-old to play so well in the Champions League is amazing.”

Encouraged by her dad and brother, Girasoli played football with boys from an early age at Harmony Row – the club where Sir Alex Ferguson began his career.

She was then at Celtic’s girls academy for eight years before joining City last year. “City train four nights a week and I’m trying to better myself,” said the teenager. “I want to be a pro player one day.”