Goalkeeper Courtney Brosnan is targeting another win in Scott Phelan's first home game as interim head coach of Everton Women after signing a new contract
Everton goalkeepers Courtney Brosnan (left) and Jordan Pickford (right)View Image
Goalkeeper Courtney Brosnan hopes that her signing a new contract will provide a welcome boost to Everton Women as they prepare for a crucial game against her previous club West Ham United in what is new interim head coach Scott Phelan’s first home match in charge at Goodison Park. Republic of Ireland international Brosnan has been with the Blues since July 26, 2021, and has committed her future to the club for another two years.
The 30-year-old said: “I’ve been here for a little bit of time, and it feels like home, so I’m really excited to continue the journey with Everton. The club has done a lot for me and I’m really proud of the journey that I’ve been on and we’ve been on together.
“It’s great to have signed the deal on the back of two wins and we’re just looking to finish the season as high as possible.
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“As one of the more senior players, I’d like to think the girls can turn to me to look for advice. Obviously, I’ve been in the league for a little while now and I have a lot of experience playing for Everton and playing these teams.
“We have a younger squad, full of unbelievable talent and great players. I think it’s important for them to be able to talk to older players and get that guidance, so I try and be as helpful as possible.”
Under new owners, The Friedkin Group, who moved the women’s team into Goodison Park, expectations were high at the start of the season with nine new players signed. However, manager Brian Sorensen was sacked on February 4, just three days after steering the Blues to a 2-1 victory over Aston Villa, which was their first home win of the campaign at the seventh time of asking.
Phelan, who has joined from Everton Under-18s, is now set to be in charge for the remainder of the campaign and is assisted by Phil Jevons, women’s first-team coach Jennifer Foster and goalkeeping coach Ian McCaldon.
Asked where she thought things had gone wrong this term, Brosnan said: “I think we all know how difficult this league is and I think over the years it’s only continued to get better and better. All the teams are investing in bringing in quality talent from both England and abroad.
“I think it’s just a case of minor details and we all know games of football can be decided in little moments. I think there are instances in the first half of the season where we’ve played well or not got a result or things happen and you concede a goal.
“I don’t think it’s massive things that have been letting us down, I think it’s just those little details that we’re now looking to put right and we hope to get results.”
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Brosnan’s opposite number in the men’s team, Jordan Pickford, remarked that he embraced the history of Goodison Park when playing there, so does Brosnan, who was born in the US state of New Jersey like former Everton keeper Tim Howard, have similar sentiments?
She said: “Playing at Goodison in front of the fans, you can see how much it means to them, how much they love being there, supporting us and being able to be at such a historic stadium and watching us play. They love that, so I think it’s really important to embrace that and do everything we can to get results in front of our fans.
“It’s been really great for us. We feel a sense of pride to play there and I think everyone knows the history of Goodison and kind of the story behind it, how it’s been part of the club for so long.
“So, for us to be able to continue our story there has been really special. I think everyone loves playing there and walking out, we know we want to put on a performance for the fans and obviously get wins at home for them.”
Given that Brosnan and Pickford are both training at Finch Farm most days, she’s asked whether she has many dealings with the England number one, who is one of the biggest personalities in football. She said: “There’s not much interaction! We’re at the training ground at the same time as them but we don’t cross paths too much in terms of our schedules.
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“It’s great to see him play and the character that he is and the performances that he puts in for Everton and for England as well. That’s what I’m trying to do too.”
Tickets for Sunday’s game at Goodison Park are on sale for £12 for adults, £6 for juniors (under-18) or £20 for a family of four. Tickets are available at evertonfc.com/tickets