Scots hope Little can shine on big stage

ALAN CAMPBELL ON WOMEN’S FOOTBALL

KIM LITTLE is the best Scottish player of her generation and she’ll have the chance to prove it to a wider audience at Euro 2017.

Is it merely a coincidence that success at club level has followed the attacking midfielder – or has that success been significantly influenced by the 26-year-old midfielder?

Either way, the statistics are mightily impressive.

Little joined Hibernian from Buchan Girls as a teenager and the Edinburgh club won two league titles, aided by her 88 goals in 44 games.

Then it was a serried five years with Arsenal which brought the same number of English championships.

There were no outright title wins in her three years at Seattle Reign – but the team won the regular league title twice while failing to land the USA-style four team play-offs. There was an additional title with Melbourne City, for whom she played between American seasons in the winter of 2015-16.

Little has now rejoined Arsenal, who no longer dominate English football as they did during her first spell at the club, having been surpassed by Manchester City and Chelsea.

Although Euro 2017 in the Netherlands will be Scotland’s first major championship, Little has already had one opportunity to grace the highest international stage.

That was in 2012, and she has no hesitation in listing her involvement with Team GB when asked about proud career moments.

There is no obvious pointer in Little’s background as to why she became such a top player.

Aberdeen also nurtured Denis Law, but the Granite City is no more a hot spot for special footballers than it is for climate. “I was very active as a kid, and played a lot of sports,” she points out. “Football was one of them. I got good opportunities because we had a good local club and a good team at school – both in primary which was five-a-side, and more so at secondary. It led from there.”

When asked about the biggest influence, or influences, on her career, Little, right, replies: “Probably my parents, but not in a footballing sense. They didn’t really play football at all so I didn’t have that in the family.

“My morals and appetite for hard work are all from them and how they brought me up. That’s what’s allowed me to achieve what I have.”

Anna Signeul gave Little her senior debut in 2007 when the player was 16. It was a friendly against Japan in Cyprus and she came on as a substitute for Megan Sneddon, another small, astute midfielder who played 130 times for her country.

Little is more dynamic, with a low centre of gravity and beautiful balance.

She is one of the fittest and hardestworking players in the Scotland side, and has scored 48 goals in 121 games despite being mindful of her defensive duties.

Faced with only the goalkeeper to beat, Little is relentlessly effective.

She can take the ball to the left, or right, but either way she will leave the last line of defence floundering.

Two games stand out in the memory.

The first was a Cyprus Cup game when she was surrounded by French players yet still emerged from the tight circle with the ball more often than not.

That set the tone for a 1-1 draw against one of the world’s best sides.

Two years ago, and despite a sodden surface, she worked tirelessly end-to-end to ensure a 3-1 win over Holland. Little scored all three goals to crown an outstanding individual performance.

If her goal ratio at club and international level is that of a top-class striker, Little has no hankering to return to a position she sometimes occupied when she was younger. “I love playing midfield, you’re so much more involved,” she says. “Although I’m an attacking-minded player I actually really enjoy the defensive aspect and where I need to be positionally. That motivates me as much as scoring goals.” Who are her own favourite players? “I didn’t watch that much football when I was younger, but I enjoyed watching Zinedine Zidane play,” she says. “Obviously Julie Fleeting was a great role model in terms

of being Scottish.”