Defender Jessica Broadrick is one of a group of impressive young players that helped Aberdeen win the SWPL2 title last season.

The Scotland under-17 international started playing at a young age and having come through all age groups with Aberdeen Ladies, now finds herself in the top flight of Scottish women’s football with AFC Women.

“I was always quite sporty at school and I first went to football when I was in Primary three. I could barely kick the ball straight and I just ran about like mad at first. Eventually one of the dads that coached the team picked me and I just progressed from there playing in the boy’s team”.

Jess continued playing in the boy’s team even when she started playing with Aberdeen Ladies, which she feels helped her improve as a player.

“That was an amazing opportunity as I was able to develop in both the boy’s and girl’s game. Playing football with the boys definitely made me stronger, they are much bigger and have more strength but you’ve just to learn to get on with it”.

“I played with Aberdeen Ladies right the way through from little kids to under nineteens. I saw some of the other players move up so there was always that goal to join them in the older age group. I moved from under fifteen and seventeen teams into the nineteens and then was asked to step up to the first team. I’ve been really lucky to come up with such a high standard of players and they have always challenged me. A group of us are in the first team now and it helps that we have played with each other for so long and we know how each other plays”.

The link between Aberdeen Ladies and Aberdeen FC Women is an important one and players like Jessica and Bailley Collins have travelled that pathway which has now led to SWPL1 football. Broadrick feels the link is important and is looking forward to more players following her footsteps.

“It’s a massive link, we want the young girls to be motivated to work their way up. If they look at the likes of Bayley Hutchison and Eilidh Shore who have done it then they can see what can be achieved. I never see myself as a role model as I’ve played or trained with some of the younger players and I still just feel like I’m one of them. I’ll just make sure they’re welcome when they come up to train or play with us as they are all really good players and they have a bright future ahead of them”.

A debut season in SWPL1 is something that Jess is looking forward to and one that she feels will improve her as a player.

“It’s an amazing opportunity, I can’t quite put into words what it means to be playing there. I’m really excited for the new challenge. I think in SWPL1 we’re always going to be under pressure and there will be no easy games. It will be a huge challenge but it’s also an amazing opportunity to learn and to grow as a team. I’ve got so much to learn yet so it’s a great opportunity”.

That opportunity to develop is there for the side, who do have players with experience of top flight football.

“We have a young side and as young players we’re not going to do the right thing every time. Having the likes of Kelly Forrest and Loren Campbell on our side, who have played at that level before, they are great role models for us in the team in terms of showing what to do or just telling us to buck up our ideas. I think preparing properly for the games will also be very important for us.

“I’m looking forward to seeing how we match up against the best players in the country. I’ve watched them on TV and some of them playing at the World Cup and that’s where I want to be. Looking around some of the names in the other squads you can see the level of player in the league and I can’t wait to test ourselves against them”.

Playing at the World Cup is where Jessica wants to be and a career in the game is something that she is hoping for going forward. “I think it’s an ambition. That’s been a dream since I came into the first team. Once I got into the first team, that was when I really felt that I could do it. Now I just want to go for it and I don’t want to stop until I get there”.