Amy Turner: ‘We know it will be a tough, physical game’

This week, we caught up with defender Amy Turner, who has been working hard at Hotspur Way during the international break, to reflect on the season so far and get her thoughts on Sunday’s FA Cup fifth round tie against Reading.

How have your last two weeks been at Hotspur Way during the international break?

The last two weeks have been good. It’s been good to get some individual work in. There’s not been many numbers training, which has been difficult at times, but it’s good to get on the grass and get some individual development programme stuff in, which has been really important. We’ve had quite a lot of the backline in so we’ve been working on the defensive side of things, which has been really useful.

It’s good to have additional time to build those connections, especially with new signings like Bethany England.

Yes exactly. It’s been great to be back playing with Beth again. She’s a fantastic player and she’s already shown what she can do on the pitch. It’s great to have her in because she’s such a good character for the group, which is nice. The last two weeks have been really helpful for everybody to get some really important touches in and get that extra bit of work we need.

We had a special occasion at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium just before the break. What was the atmosphere like for you?

It was an amazing experience. You could hear the fans throughout the game. When Beth scored, it was such an incredible noise and it gave us a real lift. The day as a whole was a really cool experience, to play against my old team and at the stadium for the first time, it’s one that I’ll remember. It’s disappointing that we didn’t get the result that we wanted but, all in all, it was a great lesson and a good day.

The results haven’t been kind to us, but the performances have been really good. Do you feel we’re on an upward trajectory and the results will come?

Yes, the performances have definitely been getting better, probably post-Christmas. I don’t think they’re quite where they need to be just yet and ultimately we need to turn them into results. It’s a results-driven business, so the hard work will hopefully start paying off and we hope we can get a result this weekend to get some confidence back in the team.

We’re aiming to reach the quarter-finals of the FA Cup on Sunday for only the third time in our history. Is that in the back of your mind as an extra incentive?

I don’t think so. It’s just another game for us. We’ve got a great opportunity to get the win and the fans deserve that. They come week in, week out to support us and they’ve not had too much to cheer about this season, so we definitely want to do it for them on Sunday.

You’re a veteran in the WSL and know that Reading aren’t easy opposition. What type of game are you expecting?

It’s always the same when you play against Reading. You know what to expect, they’re a very organised team defensively. They’re hard working, press for 90 minutes and don’t give you a second to breathe. We’re expecting a tough, physical game. They’re very good at direct play and maybe we’ve not coped with that too well this season and that’s a big lesson that we’ll take into this game. We know if we get the win, we’re going to have to earn it and the right to play first. Hopefully our quality shines through on the day.

You’ve been so consistent this season in third in the team for the most minutes. Are you happy with the amount of time you’re getting on the pitch?

Yes definitely. Every chance I get to start on the pitch, I never take it for granted. I work hard in training every day and know that I have to be at my best to earn a starting position. We’ve got so many quality defenders in this team and I know that I can’t afford to take my foot off the gas. I’m grateful for the opportunity and  I know that I’ve still got a lot to learn as well. I’m always trying to learn and get better, but I’m happy. I’d be happier if we’d conceded less goals, it’s not a great look for any of us defenders, but it’s something that we’re definitely working hard to correct and hopefully that comes into play for the second half of the season.

What would you like to achieve for the rest of the season?

A little bit more consistency with team results. I want to stop conceding goals. We’ve got a big push to keep clean sheets and have that mentality. If we do that, we give ourselves a greater foundation to go on and win games. We want to take as many points as we can from the remaining games that we’ve got left.