Katie McCabe: 'I hope young girls in Ireland were watching. They can dream'
GUNNER GLORY: Ireland's Katie McCabe savours Arsenal's Champions League final win at Lisbon's Estádio José Alvalade. Pic: Jose Breton, Inpho
ARSENAL'S Katie McCabe took a moment to consider what it all meant, not just for Arsenal, who remain the only English club to win the women's Champions League, but her own history-making exploits and legacy.
“I'm just so proud of what we have done as a team,” said McCabe. “We stopped one of the best front lines in the world going forward and we did it together. It was incredible.
“We had belief from our comebacks (in the second legs against Real Madrid and Lyon in the last two rounds). We knew it was a final - we had to go all in.
"We heard the underdog word thrown around but we deserved to be in this final, we gave it everything."
The returning champions will celebrate their title on Monday alongside 10,000 fans in Armoury Square outside the Emirates Stadium in London, where the trophy lift will take place at around 11.40am.
After that McCabe will return to Republic Ireland duty for Friday’s UEFA Nations League game in Turkey - tough she wasn't sure when she'd be joining up with the squad!
In Lisbon, she told extratime.com's MacDara Ferris: “Everyone knows I'm such a proud Irish woman. Since I joined the club, I've seen Ciara (Grant), Emma (Byrne) and Yvonne (Treacy) with the tricolour draped around them and a Champions League trophy in their hand (from 2007). Seeing that photo every day motivated me so much and to say now I'm a part of that is incredible. To be standing here now to be associated with those names that've won the Champions League, both men and women in Ireland, makes me very proud. It is amazing.
“I think of days back to when I was playing with Raheny in the (Champions League) qualifiers to where I'm at now. To have some of my old teammates here (from Raheny) in the crowd watching me is pretty special.
"I hope young girls in Ireland were watching that game today and they can dream to be like me winning this trophy.”
Her Gunners colleague Alessia Russo says the Gunners are just getting started after lifting the Champions League trophy.
"I can't really put it into words, it just feels bloody amazing. It feels surreal right now, but I just had so much belief going into this game. We all did. We didn't really want to say it too much, but we all kind of had this feeling.
"We knew we could and we just had to go and deliver."
The result means Arsenal will also represent Europe in the inaugural FIFA Women's Champions Cup next year, entering as automatic semi-finalists.
Added McCabe: "Barcelona threw absolutely everything at us and we f***ing...sorry! We kept together and we rode it out, we rode the storm. Stina got the goal in the end and it's unbelievable. Unbelievable to give this to our fans, our family, the players that have been here for so long. It's an unbelievable day for the club."
About 5,000 Arsenal fans made the trip as part of the club's official travelling delegation, though more red shirts could be spotted in general admission.
Co-owner Josh Kroenke flew over from America, joining an executive contingent that also included executive vice-chair Tim Lewis, managing director Richard Garlick and director of women's football Clare Wheatley.
ARSENAL: van Domselaar, Fox, Williamson, Catley, McCabe, Little, Caldentey, Kelly (Mead 68), Maanum (Blackstenius 67), Foord (Hurtig 86), Russo (Wubben-Moy 90).
BARCELONA: Coll, Batlle, Paredes, Leon (Engen 79), Rolfo (Brugts 79), Bonmati, Guijarro, Putellas, Hansen, Pajor, Pina (Paralluelo 62).
More in this section