Erin Radbourne | The making of a Lilywhite

While young goalkeeper Erin Radbourne has made her mark in between the sticks for the Under-19s, it has been a late transition to becoming a shot stopper.

In the ‘Making of a Lilywhite’ series, we sat down with Erin to talk about her footballing journey so far and get to know her a bit better…

First memories and becoming a shot stopper…

“Football has always been around me. My dad and my brother both played, so I used to go and watch them every weekend. I started kicking a ball around in the garden with them, and eventually I joined a team. I think I was about seven years old when I first started to properly play, which is quite late. I then joined a team at Under-9s level and it just went from there.

“I played for that team until Under-11s, then we moved to Milton Keynes, and I joined MK Dons at Under-12s. I got into the boys’ set-up, which was similar to an Emerging Talent Centre, and the manager asked me to train with the academy. I trialled for a week as a centre-back and was asked to join, so I stayed there until Under-14s.

“It wasn’t till Under-15s when I actually became a goalkeeper. Our team’s goalkeeper got injured and everyone had to rotate around. When it was my turn, I really enjoyed it and the coach said I did well, so I split my time between goal and outfield for a season. After that, I realised I enjoyed goalkeeping more and decided to focus on it fully.

Joining Spurs…

“I joined the Club at Under-16s level and I had a really good season. I enjoyed the environment, the training quality and played a lot of games. At the end of the season, I was offered a two-year contract to move up to the Under-21s – which is what the Under-19s was at the time - which I accepted. Last season, it was really positive. I also went out on dual registration with Chesham United in the campaign and that was a good experience. I was keeping clean sheets and learning a lot.”

Gaining experience on dual registration…

“I felt it was really important. Being in an Academy is great but, as you get older, you start to face senior players more, so I wanted to get used to that environment early which helps you feel more prepared. As a goalkeeper, you want to be busy and face shots - that’s how you improve. Chesham were in a relegation battle, which made it challenging, but it was a really positive experience for both me and the team. It helped me feel ready for senior football and gave me confidence that I could perform in those situations.”

First team exposure last season…

“Being with the first team for the second half of last season, I learned a lot from the senior goalkeepers. I can already see how much I’ve improved, I have picked up details like footwork, catching technique and claiming crosses. It was all slightly different from what I was used to and I’ve tried to add that into my own game. Travelling with the Women’s team was very different to academy football. The preparation, overnight stays and routines were all new to me, but I really enjoyed it and learned a lot from it.”

Playing futsal…

“I got into futsal through free taster sessions near my house. I thought I’d give it a go and I really enjoyed it. I started as a goalkeeper but the team I played for at the time didn’t have a senior squad, so I eventually moved to City of Peterborough Futsal. They already had a goalkeeper, so I trained on the pitch instead, which was very different, but I loved it! I’ve been playing futsal for about four years now. It’s very different, but there are some similarities to football. In tight spaces, the decision-making and movement can be similar, it’s much faster, the goals are smaller, the ball is different and the game is very intense. You’re constantly moving for long periods, which is physically tough, but it’s great fun and definitely worth it.”