For Katie and her fellow ‘Originals’ to have spent the final six years right here – Ella Toone, Millie Turner and Leah Galton – 2018-2023 had been 5 seasons of regular development, from Championship winners, to reaching a cup closing, to securing a Champions League spot. So when Zel raised the FA Cup aloft at Wembley final month there was a palpable sense that this was the following step for the Reds, and the most important one but at that – a significant trophy for each United fan contained in the nationwide stadium, in addition to these on the pitch, to savour.
And with diehard United fan Katie firmly ticking each bins, what a pair of arenas for her to log out her time with the Reds – Wembley one weekend, and Outdated Trafford the following; the stadium the place she used to look at the boys play as a child, and the place she was even a flag holder on Champions League nights. “Coming by the Academy, they’d use the ladies’ and the boys’ groups to do these flags, and it’s one in every of my fondest reminiscences,” she informed us in 2022. “We had been a bit small for the large banner within the centre circle, however we’d be those holding the Champions League flags by the objectives. I bear in mind I practically hit somebody – I used to be swinging it, giving it an excellent go and I believe it might need been Denis Irwin! I believed, ‘oh god, I’ve practically knocked out a legend!’”
Fortunately the Irishman survived the expertise, whereas Zelem obtained to point out off her flag-waving expertise as soon as extra come full-time at Wembley final month, in what would show to be her penultimate United look.
