Redemption features highly amongst Yeovil Town Ladies forward Annie Heatherson’s priorities when she faces former club Bristol Academy for the first time since her release. The lively attacker was ready to retire when then-Vixens boss Dave Edmondson deemed her surplus to requirements last summer.
However, Heatherson was convinced not to hang up her boots by Yeovil manager Jamie Sherwood and has since fired six goals in 11 appearances for the Lady Glovers.
As Thursday evening’s Continental Tyres Cup clash with the FA Women’s Super League 1 club edges ever closer, the 31-year-old said she was ready to ensure Academy’s decision 12 months ago was the wrong one.
“It’s always nice to come up against your former clubs, but for me this is a lot more personal than for the average person,” said Heatherson. “Psychologically, I want to show to myself that these kinds of things may happen – you may be taken away from a club, you may have to leave, or a club may not want you any more. You have to realise that’s football.”
“For me psychologically, I wasn’t ready for that last year. But I’ve come to Yeovil and built myself up again. Going forwards, I would like to redeem myself and prove that it was a bit of a mistake to let me go.”
Although Bristol Academy arrive at Sherborne Town’s Jones Stadium languishing at the foot of the WSL 1 table, Heatherson said there was no room for complacency amongst the in-form hosts.
She said: “Every team goes through rough patches. They have gone through two managers. The new manager unfortunately hasn’t really had a lot of time or stuff to work with.”
“It might have been a different story if he had come in before the previous boss, it’s bad luck for him unfortunately. He’s trying to get a team together and guide them to safety. He’s gone in there to keep them up and he will use every game to get a performance from them.”
Boasting a playing career that started 14 years ago with Charlton Athletic, Heatherson is no doubt used to being called the odd name. However, her latest “fish girl” moniker – sparked by a fishing-inspired goal celebration against Watford – may take some getting used to, after getting dropped by her team-mates as catch of the day.
“Being dropped in a goal celebration is always a bit different,” Heatherson said. “We had never rehearsed the celebration but said we would do it – it was Helen Bleazard’s idea. We forgot to do it after the first goal and when we did it after the second I got in the wrong position. It’s all good fun and banter.
“We’re going to keep going with the celebrations – it defines what we’re like as a team. You’ve got to make the most of the moment. The amount of people now saying ‘hi fish girl’ is unreal. It gets people talking about Yeovil Town Ladies, which is a good thing.”
