Feature Interviews
Cooper: We deserve it
Published by Gillingham Ladies Media on April 11, 2010
Deanna Cooper is living the dream at the moment, not only for the Gills but also for her country as well.
She returned from touring South Africa with the England Cricket team just last week, and this weekend she made a goal scoring return to the Gills Ladies first team.
Talking about her first game back in the first team, she said: “Sunday afternoon was hard especially as it was my first game back after two weeks of pretty much no football at all, apart from a kick around with the girls on tour.
“It took a while to get into the game as some of the girls were still carrying knocks from Thursday but once we started to play in the second half we were much better.”
Deanna replaced Ashlee Hincks in the only change from the team that beat Millwall on Thursday night and she admitted she didn’t expect to start.
She added: “I really wasn’t expecting to come straight back into the team especially after the win in the Kent cup final.
“Obviously when Ian told us the squad I was up for it, as I was really looking forward to playing, even though I’d only missed two league games it felt like I hadn’t played in ages, so it was good to be back, and to score made it even better even though it was a tap in.
“It was the goal we needed to turn the game around, and it got us all going really but that always happens with us, once we score one we kick on from there and we did.”
When the Gills went one-nil down Deanna and the players knew they had the character to get back into the game and go on and win it.
She said: “We know that within our squad we have the quality to come back out on top even if we do concede first, because we know that if we put in the effort that we did in the second half then we can out play teams.
“I don’t think anyone was expecting to go in at half time one nil down, but after a change in formation, we knew that we could come out on top.
The Gills are just two points away from winning the title but Deanna knows there is still work to do to win the title.
She added: “We are only two points away from winning it now, but that is still two points that we have got to get and work for, so we’re not going to get complacent as we know that we still have to get those two points.
Deanna missed the Kent Cup final as she was on international duty but she was delighted for her team mates when she heard they had won.
“When I found out the score I was ecstatic, I was so happy for all the girls and for everyone who has put the effort in for the club. I was definitely gutted to miss it, but was so proud to just be part of the squad as all the girls deserve it and have worked so hard to get it.”
Not many footballers represent their Country at football let alone Cricket as well and that is what makes Deanna such a unique talent.
Reflecting on her tour to South Africa the midfielder, said: “It was the best tour I’ve been on, the sights we saw both happy and sad and the experience I got from it and what i learnt were all simply amazing, and also the girls that I went with were all quality to which made it even better.
“I enjoyed every minute of it, obviously it’s different to playing county cricket as there is a lot more pressure to impress and to do the right things, but luckily I like that sort of pressure as it makes me perform better.
“There are so many good female cricketers in my age group so to get the chance to go to South Africa on tour with some of them was amazing. But even though I was having a great time out there after every Gills game that was played I was straight on the phone to find out the scores and what had happened and all the info.”
Now it is time to turn her attentions to the Gills title run in and the League Cup final and it is something she is certainly up for.
She added: “I am looking forward to the title run so much, it’s what we have all been working for all season, and personally to go up would be the best end to a first great season playing women’s football as I have loved every minute of it.
“After missing the Kent cup final, it makes me even more up for the League cup final, as to win a final with the girls would be brilliant as I know that after all the effort put in during training and matches we deserve it.”