With their second signing this summer, Manchester City have captured the signature of 23-year-old Claire Emslie from Bristol City.
Eye catching for Bristol
A talented young attacker, Emslie was crucial to Bristol in their promotion winning season and continued to impress throughout the Spring Series showing her natural ability to play at the highest level in England.
With a career that started at local team, Hibernian in the SWPL, Emslie had a healthy goal return for Hibs before she left to study and play in America, honing her skills in Florida for four years.
Not having played a competitive match for over half a year when she joined up with the Vixens last summer, Emslie remains grateful to Willie Kirk for “introducing her to the game in England” and is glad to have been “surrounded by great players” at the Stoke Gifford. Using the Spring Series as a chance to develop and “test” herself against the best in the country, after a successful Spring Emslie is looking to kick on and keep growing as a player, City the “perfect” place for her.
Big step up
On the move Emslie said she very happy to be in Manchester, the club “huge” with an “amazing” women’s team, the integration at the CFA between the development team, men’s seniors and women’s side “brilliant” if not a little “overwhelming.”
Looking forward to being around “establish players” Emslie is keen to learn and take all she can from her new surroundings and teammates to push and challenge herself to “become the best player” she can be.
Already looking to “mature as a player” and find some more consistency, the attacker is hoping to improve her leadership with the reigning WSL champions, her style of play one of the things that caught City boss, Nick Cushing’s eye.
Still looking to really break into her national team after having represented Scotland at all the youth levels, the attacker will be around two women who are more than used to suiting up for Scotland, new teammates Jennifer Beattie and Jane Ross.
Mostly Emslie is just looking forward to “getting started” hoping to help her new team win as much silverware as they can and have a solid run in the UEFA Women’s Champions League. Her mentality just to work her hardest, “keep her head down and try her best,” excited to get started.