Emma hopes to star in Scotland colours

Jul 1 2009 by Colin Paterson, Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser

A COATBRIDGE soccer ace is hoping to star in Scottish colours before setting out to stun German giants Bayern Munich.

Emma Fernon, who plays for Glasgow City Ladies FC, is one of a number of girls invited to a training camp for the national women’s squad which begins on Friday at the Toryglen Football Centre.

It is the latest adventure for the 22-year-old who enjoyed a mixed campaign last season which saw her suffer a serious knee injury but bounce back in time to assist Glasgow’s successful Premier League title bid.

Peter Caulfield’s girls overhauled a 17-point deficit to beat Celtic to the championship. They also won the League and Scottish cups to complete a treble-winning campaign.

Now Fernon is preparing to impress Scotland team boss Anna Signeul before flying out to Lithuania with her Glasgow team-mates to play in the Champions’ League at the end of this month.

The Scots will compete in a four-team group consisting of Bayern, Norchi Dinamoeli of Georgia and Gintra Universitetas who are representing the host nation. The winners of the section will qualify for the knockout stages.

Left-back Fernon is gearing up for an exciting summer and is desperate to make her mark for both club and country.

“We know the matches will be very difficult in Lithuania,” she told the Advertiser. “But we are confident of going over there and doing well.

“To be able to play a team like Bayern Munich will be a special experience and competing in the Champions’ League is something we have done before.

“Last season we reached the last 16 of the competition so we know what to expect. There are a lot of strong sides and the standard is good.

“Getting into the full Scotland squad has been an ambition of mine for a long time so this training camp is my chance to shine.

“I captained the national team at under-19 level but it is a big step up to the full side. We have just started pre-season training at Glasgow but I will be ready.”

Fernon damaged her knee in the League Cup Final with Spartans last November and revealed she hated every minute of her time on the sidelines.

“They were difficult days,” she added. “I ruptured my PCL and the injury was definitely the lowest point of the season for me.

“It is hard standing at the side watching the team and not being able to do anything to help them.

“The rehabilitation work is also harder than just normal training so it was great to get back into the team quickly and only miss a few games.”

Fernon, a customer service advisor for the Abbey National in Perth, reckons women’s football is going from strength to strength and admits recent live television coverage has been the icing on the cake.

“The popularity of the sport is increasing and it was great having our 5-0 win over Rangers in the Scottish Cup live on TV,” she said.

“It would be nice to think that more games might be shown which would generate more interest and help attract sponsors.

“The last few months have been brilliant for me and the team. All of my family and friends are supporters and come and watch us and are delighted with how we’ve done.”