Negri: Excited to Showcase What We Can Do
Thursday, 20th Mar 2025 13:51
Ipswich Town Women’s keeper Natalia Negri is excited to be part of Sunday’s Portman Road match against Plymouth Argyle, her teammates having told her all about last year’s match.
Negri, 21, joined the Blues in the summer so missed out on the historic 5-0 victory over Chatham at Portman Road last March, the women’s side’s historic first ever league game at the stadium when they were watched by just over 10,000 fans with an even bigger crowd expected this weekend.
However, she says she’s heard all about it from her teammates: “I just remember thinking it was an unbelievable day. I’m really excited to be part of it this year, being able to showcase what we can do as a team and what we’ve been doing all season.
“We’re a ball-playing team and playing on a surface like that it’s going to be unbelievable for everyone involved, and I’m excited to show what I can do personally and what the team are going to bring to the day.”
Negri, who was part of the Crystal Palace squad which claimed the Women’s Championship title last season, has played in front of significant crowds before but believes Sunday’s match will be unique.
“I think it will have a different feeling,” he said. “Being involved in an occasion like this with this club isn’t something I’ve experienced before, but I’ve obviously been involved in big games and being able to deal with the pressure of crowds and outside noises is definitely something I’m used to. I’m just excited for the occasion.”
While with the Eagles, she missed out on the chance to play at Selhurst Park.
“I never got the opportunity to play in the game, I was in and around the team but I never got to play at Selhurst myself, so I think this will be a really nice occasion,” she added.
“I’ve never played at a Premier League stadium before, I’ve played at Championship stadiums, but this would be a really nice occasion for me personally.”
Much is being made of the occasion, but it’s an important game for Town’s promotion prospects with the Blues second in the FAWNL Southern Premier Division, three points behind leaders Hashtag United but with two games in hand.
However, Negri, who was capped by England up to U19 level and who also qualifies for Italy and Spain, says she and her teammates won’t lose their focus against Argyle, who are second bottom of the table and who Town defeated 5-0 at Home Park earlier in the season.
“We take each game as it comes anyway,” she insisted. “I don’t think the occasion is really going to mean too much in terms of the points in the table, we just want to make sure we put in as good a performance as we do every week and it will just be a bonus if we get three points at Portman Road.”
While the Blues can afford to drop three points and still win the single promotion spot even if Hashtag are victorious in all three of their remaining games, Negri says they’re aiming to win all five.
“It’s definitely something we would love to do,” she continued. “But it’s not down to winning every single game, the goal difference we’ve managed to build up over the season has been great.
“So as long as we can put as much effort into every single game and try and get the outcomes that we can, execute every game plan that the coaches manage to put together each week, I think we’ll be in a good position for the season.”
Negri, who came through the Arsenal youth system and spent time with Charlton before moving on to Palace in 2022, has conceded only eight league goals this season.
“Clean sheets are a massive thing for me and coming into the season, I set myself goals and I have very high standards of myself and I know as a backline and a team in general that we take just as much pride in keeping clean sheets as we do putting the ball in the net at the other end,” she said.
“I’m very happy with how the season’s been going so far. Obviously the setback against Hashtag [a 1-0 defeat three weeks ago] wasn’t ideal, but it does grow you as a player. I think you learn more from games like that than you would from winning 5-0 or 6-0 or even 13-0 like we did this season [against MK Dons].
“I definitely take a lot of pride in taking clean sheets and I’m hoping to do as much as I can for the rest of the season.”
Does she see similarities between Town and the Palace squad which won promotion from the level above last season?
“I think I see the same will and desire to go and do it,” she reflected. “It takes a certain group of players to be able to deal with everything that a season can throw your way and I know that the girls in this building have the exact same capability of being able to do so.
“I think the staff put together a great game plan every single week which equally the girls are able to execute every week.
“So I think as a group of players and staff members and as a collective, it’s got a very similar feel to last season and I’ve got the same feeling that I had last year, so I’m hoping that can carry on for the rest of the season.”
And she believes the Town squad has the quality to thrive in the Championship should they win promotion to the second tier for the first time.
“For sure, look at some of the results in the Championship and some of the games that I’ve watched from the outside looking in and I definitely think we can put a good shift in if we were to go up and I’ve got every faith in every single one of the girls in the team at the moment to be able to do so,” she added.
“I think physically it’s that step up, as you see with the men going into the Prem. Us going into the Champ, it is that step up in terms of the speed and the physicality of the game.
“But I know that the girls here along with the staff are able to give us the best gym programmes possible, recovery and with the club providing everything that we need, I think it would be a really good step for us and no doubt we’ll be able to achieve what we want up in the Championship if we do manage to get there.”
Tickets for Sunday’ match are available here.
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