We caught up with Middlesbrough Women star Rebecca Olley following the 3-0 pre-season victory over Redcar Town Ladies.

It was a good win for the team and you managed to bag yourself a goal as well. So, how are you feeling after that game?

Yeah. Obviously most importantly it was good to get back out on the pitch. First preseason game done and we got the win that the girls deserved; and I think the performance that we put in what was quite hot conditions was great to see. We've got a lot to improve on but we've started to put what we’ve been doing in training into practise today, which, like I say, was perfect. And it's obviously always nice to bag a goal, but it's the team’s performance and the overall result that matters.

At the end of last season the captain left, and of course you’ve stepped into that role now. So what's it like to step up from being a player to being the captain now?

The captain last season, Bass, is a good friend of mine, so obviously it was sad to see her leave. But I think taking the role of captain is going to be hard no matter the circumstances. But I get on with all the girls and I feel like we've got a good team spirit at the moment and a good environment. It's a really good atmosphere, both at training and in the change room. So yeah, I take every game as it comes and I've just got to work hard. You’ve got to set the standards high and I think I can do that and hopefully do Bass proud.

So what's the feeling amongst the team? What do the girls feel they can achieve this season?

Credit to the club to be fair because the atmosphere has always been spot on. The girls are always in great spirits and, like I say, there's always positivity around both the training and the games on Sunday. So I think realistically, as long as we put in everything that we're doing in training and we work hard and do the basics well. I think we're going to have a good team next season, especially the signingss that we're bringing in and look to still bring in. I think overall, I think we're going to do well. And yeah, we’ll look to push for a good position in the league next season. So obviously, like I say with the girls we’re bringing in and the girls we already have, I think it's looking positive.

So speaking of the new signings, how do you think they’re settling in?

The girls that we signed at the back end of last season who's first games were today I think have done really well. Obviously, they've had a lot more training sessions with us than a few of the others, but the girls have slotted in really well. Full credit to the girls who played today; I thought both Jess (Holder) and Lauren (Robson), who played the majority of the game, absolutely smashed it. Obviously, like I say, they’ve settled in well and I think they’re gonna do really well for us next season. Obviously with the girls that we’re signing today, they’re absolute quality players and they’re always gonna make the team better. The team we've got already is good; but obviously the signings that we’re bringing in are gonna add that extra bit of quality that we need.

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