Aberdeen Women captain Loren Campbell sat down with RedTV as she previewed the final game of her career this weekend when Aberdeen Women take on Motherwell. Loren announced last week that she would be retiring from football after joining The Dons at the age of 10.

Loren was speaking to RedTV as part of the On The Couch series, in association with Frasers of Ellon. Watch the interview in full on RedTV.

“It was a very tough decision for me to retire. I have been here since I was 10 years old. I was fine with my decision to retire but since the club announced it I have been quite emotional. It’s a mix of personal reasons (why I have chosen to retire). It is a chance to get some time back to myself, football wise I feel like I have accomplished it all with The Dons. I have been up and down the leagues and finishing off the season as captain and leaving The Dons in the Premier League it felt like the right time to retire.

“At the start of the season I was thinking, ‘will this be my last season?’ but it was never really in my thoughts. With Kelly Forrest and Carrie Doig doing it last year you do think ‘when will be right for me.’ I don’t really know what has changed. We went to Glasgow about four times in a fortnight and that might have pushed me to breaking point! I have a full-time job which I really enjoy as well. I am going out when I am still playing well and selfishly you don’t want to be the one where people are going ‘she has passed it, get her off the pitch!’ Hopefully I have called it at the right time as well.

“Despite it being a tough season I have thoroughly enjoyed it. I have been here since I was 10 so I have had many a tough season like this. The last few seasons we have been progressing but with this year and due to the investment of others it has made it really tough. We have invested as a club and we will invest again but we are growing at a slower rate than the rest. We have had a disappointing season but it will help to kick us on again next season.

“We have got a very young team. That is maybe another reason that I am retiring is because of the age gap between myself and the rest! You forgot the likes of Eilidh Shore is only 21 and Bayley Hutchison is younger than that but both have made over 100 appearances for Aberdeen. We will put out a back line on Sunday that will fear you, I am 32 and rest are teenagers! It is exciting. They are young and they can be naïve in the Premier League but sometimes it creates a really good performance because they are fearless, they are young, they are youthful and attacking. I hope the likes of Eilidh, Bayley and Fran take on the responsibility next year. They deserve it, and although they are young they have been through the journey but they are more than ready for it.

“The growth of the women’s game is something I didn’t think of or even see happening in the future when I was so young. There wasn’t a professional game for women’s football. People say it was unfair but for me it was just the way it was. The last few years it has gone at a stupid rate of growth. Its a case of keeping up more than anything. Credit to the club for taking us on four years ago, every single year the investment has been increased. Hopefully that is the way it goes going forward. I think more of our players will be on contracts next season, there is going to be a full-time manager. I have been coached by guys who have almost lost their jobs because they put so much time and effort into the women’s game. People who cared so much about it but didn’t get the financial reward back. It is really good that someone will have total focus on the women’s team because that is what the club needs to take the next step to drive it forward.”

Match: Motherwell Women v Aberdeen Women
Date: Sunday 21st May
Kick-off: 2pm
Venue: K Park
Competition: Park’s Motor Group SWPL1