PASSING ON THE PASSION

THIS MONTH’S WINNER IS INSPIRING THE NEXT GENERATION OF TALENT WITH A NEW PROGRAMME DESIGNED TO HELP THEM REALISE THEIR FOOTBALL DREAMS

SUZANNE MULVEY has football coursing through her veins. The 36-year-old developed a love for the game growing up in Edinburgh, and has enjoyed a career playing for the leading clubs in Scotland and proudly representing her country.

A mum to three boys, Suzanne has embarked on an ambitious project to help equip the next generation of talented young footballers with the skills and fitness needed to earn sporting scholarships to top universities in the USA.

Her lifelong passion for the game hasn’t gone unnoticed – and certainly not by her mum, Karen, who nominated her for Coral’s Fan of the Year competition. Having been picked out as this month’s winner by striking legend Alan Shearer, Suzanne is being rewarded with £1,000 worth of football-related prizes that will deliver some fantastic resources for her new venture to help young footballers.

“Football has given me so much in my life. Being able to give something back and help the next generation enjoy the game is something I’m dedicated to,” she explains. “Winning the £1,000 means I can buy muchneeded equipment to help the players improve – particularly at this difficult time.”

As a monthly winner, Suzanne will have the chance to be crowned Coral’s Ultimate Football Fan of the Year at the end of the season – when she could net another £10,000 in football prizes.

Suzanne has dedicated her life to the sport. “I remember always having a ball at my feet from an early age,” she says. “I’ve got an older brother and he doesn’t play football, so I’ve no idea where it came from. It was just in me.

“But there weren’t as many opportunities as there are now, so it was not until I reached 16 before I was in a proper set-up and was able to progress and keep improving.”

Suzanne has enjoyed every kick and tackle of her globetrotting adventure ever since. She has played for leading clubs including Celtic, Rangers and Glasgow

City, and captained Motherwell to promotion in 2018 with a record points haul, for which she was voted the division’s player of the year.

Always seeking new challenges, Suzanne also played a season in Iceland and has earned 37 caps for her country – one highlight of which was playing against the US women’s national team in front of a 15,000-strong crowd in Jacksonville, Florida.

Now captain of Partick

Thistle Women, Suzanne hasn’t let lockdown and a lack of fixtures stunt her ambition. Instead she has seen it as a chance to give back.

Her new venture, Sentinel Sports, helps young athletes to improve their health, fitness and