Krystle is proud of glittering finale
KRYSTLE JOHNSTON is ready to sparkle for a new club after calling time on her eight years at Manchester City.
The 31-year-old was the last surviving player from City’s previous guise, Manchester City Ladies, before they transformed to Manchester City Women and the full-time force they are today.
Local
That midfielder Johnston has been a part of the club for so long is testament to her quality, and is even more impressive considering she’s also held down a 30-hour-aweek job with British Gas.
While most of her teammates could put their feet up on a day off, Johnston would be in her office day-job – sometimes even on a Saturday morning before a game.
“If our schedule had a Monday and a Thursday recovery, which is a day off, that’s when I would go and do my hours with British Gas,” Johnston told Women’s Foot-
ball Weekly. “The manager Nick Cushing supported me 100 per cent if I had to miss the odd session, and if I had to work before a game and miss the walk-throughs it wouldn’t affect if I was playing or not.
“Of course at times you feel like you’re missing out and it can be difficult with away games in the week. I have to make sure I’ve got my hours covered, but British Gas are very supportive as well so I’m very lucky.
“I’m a local girl, so when the opportunity came around to train full-time I grabbed the chance. I’d never really trained full-time before. I usually trained in the evenings.
“At the very beginning, when it first changed over to Manchester City Women, they had five girls in full-time. They would train in the day and we would all come in at night.
“Once Nick got really involved he decided it had to change and that we couldn’t train in the evening if we wanted to get better.
“But again he gave me the chance to stay and we went on to win the Continental Cup.”
Winning that final last season, where Johnston set-up the winning goal against Arsenal, is her stand-out highlight from a long stint that has yielded more than 100 goals and ended in this season’s secondplace finish and Champions League qualification.
Transformed
She says the extra training and professionalism has improved her game no end and made her the fittest she’s ever been.
Having played her part in the club’s rise and seen an incredible transformation in the facilities at their disposal, she admits it will be tough to leave the club she loves.
“We used to play at Flixton’s men’s ground,” she said. “We used to train in a park – fitness was running around a
tree!
“Now City have this training complex that’s unreal.
“We’ve always had a good fanbase, but when the girls came back from the World Cup we really did see even more of a change. The crowds more than doubled and the profile got even bigger. “That’s because of what the girls did in Canada and how clubs are getting more involved. Locally people do recognise you and at Man City people like Patrick Vieira and Brian Kidd always have time for us. They’re always there asking how we’re getting on. “I’m still going to be at City for the next couple of months training. I love the club and I can’t thank them and Nick enough.
“I’ve had a fantastic time but it’s time for a new challenge for me. There’s competition for places at every club, but I know if I can be somewhere where I get a run of games I’ve got so much to offer.”