Levell Looking To Apply Strong Foxes Mentality

Next Match | Friday 24 April Fri 24 Apr

MIL

(H)

00 D

18 H

38 M

13 S

Interviews & Features

Heritage

Photos

Levell Looking To Apply Strong Foxes Mentality

LCFC Women have the capabilities to cope in the face of adversity and challenges, according to goalkeeper Kirstie Levell.

2022-09-28T16:33:00.000Z

by Sam Jones

Published

28 Sep, 2022

Levell Looking To Apply Strong Foxes Mentality

LCFC Women have the capabilities to cope in the face of adversity and challenges, according to goalkeeper Kirstie Levell.

Sam Jones

2022-09-28T16:33:00.000Z

Levell Looking To Apply Strong Foxes Mentality

LCFC Women have the capabilities to cope in the face of adversity and challenges, according to goalkeeper Kirstie Levell.

Sam Jones

2022-09-28T16:33:00.000Z

Levell Looking To Apply Strong Foxes Mentality

LCFC Women have the capabilities to cope in the face of adversity and challenges, according to goalkeeper Kirstie Levell.

Sam Jones

2022-09-28T16:33:00.000Z

Levell Looking To Apply Strong Foxes Mentality

LCFC Women have the capabilities to cope in the face of adversity and challenges, according to goalkeeper Kirstie Levell.

Sam Jones

2022-09-28T16:33:00.000Z

- Kirstie Levell speaks ahead of LCFC Women’s next WSL fixture- The Foxes face Everton Women at Walton Hall Park on Thursday- There’s a positive atmosphere within the squad, Levell says- The goalkeeper is looking forward to facing her old club

It’s a trip to Walton Hall Park up next for Leicester, who face Everton on Thursday (6:30pm kick-off) aiming to register a first victory in 2022/23, following defeats in their opening two Barclays Women’s Super League matches.

A difficult start to the season in terms of results has not dampened the hunger and belief within the group, Levell revealed while speaking to the media earlier this week about maintaining a Foxes never quit mindset.

“The mood is still very high,” she revealed in the pre-match press conference. “We know it’s a long season. I think as long as we’ve all got each other’s backs and we’re all on the same page with the game plan, it’s all about lifting each other up for the next game.

“There’s not really that much time in the season to sit and dwell on things. We always know we’ve got a game the next week, so it’s just switching focusing to what we can do to exploit them.

“We’d be worried if we weren’t creating chances, but, in games, we are. It’s just about actually finishing them off. I know the strikers will be disappointed. In our shooting practices, I’m taking the brunt of most of our shots, and they do go in. It’s just about finding those finishes.

“The main thing is grinding the results out. In the [Aston] Villa game, the aim through that was - when we realised we weren’t getting a goal in the last five minutes of the half – just seeing that out, doing nothing stupid, no silly fouls.

“As the goalkeeper, I’m on at the back four to limit mistakes, wait for the half-time talk and come out and go again. For me, it’s then about building, getting that goal and the win if we can.”

Spending a decade with the Blues, the shot-stopper came through the ranks at Everton, making her senior debut as a Toffees player, ahead of switching Merseyside for Leicester two years ago.

The 'keeper has fond memories of her time there, is looking forward to returning to the venue she used to call home and coming up against some of her former team-mates.

“Everton’s a great club,” the 25-year-old explained. “They’ve always believed in their Academy graduates, and I was one myself. I was there for 10 years, and Walton Hall Park is a great place. Even before I was at Everton, I used to play a lot of football there.

“It’s one of those places you go, and it is a proper game of football. The pitch, if it gets a bit wet, is not the nicest. As a goalkeeper, I love it, I’m really looking forward to that.

“In terms of Everton as a team, they’ve had a change of manager and I think he’s really trying to get them to play football, but also he wants them to be direct and take shots when they can. So as a goalie, I just need to be aware of that and make sure I’m on my game to limit their shots.

“Last season was very different. We played Everton while I was injured and they had a lot of the old team that I was there with in 2020. Now the manager has recruited and there are only about four or five from my time.

“They've got some great players - Gabby George, who has been at England seniors, Izzy Christensen. It’ll be nice to see new and familiar faces and I think it will be a different team to what I was involved in.”

The ex-Evertonian has returned to the starting XI after an injury that kept her out of the majority of City’s first WSL campaign, having impressed through her displays between the sticks early on in the season. She’s now targeting hitting individual and team goals.

“For me, it was a right kick in the teeth given the level I was playing at in November,” Levell admitted. I was really happy with my performances and trying to keep the team in it, against the big teams especially. The Chelsea game, we tried to keep every single ball out of that goal.

“It’s just game by game, I’m not looking too far ahead. I’m feeling very lucky to be able to keep giving what I can to the team. My aim will always be to keep clean sheets and now it’s focusing on limiting how many shots we have on us.

“Taking away the clean sheets, it’s just about getting that win. If we don’t get the clean sheet but get the win, I won’t be moaning. We’ve spoken in meetings about getting points when we can and as many as possible from each team. We’ve got a target within ourselves - now it’s about executing it.

“Obviously, we haven’t started the season how we wanted but those points are coming, and we just want the fans to keep believing in us, stick with us and then it’s also about finishing as high up in the table as we can. We’re not doubting ourselves.”

LATEST HEADLINES

PL2 Play-Offs Explained As Last-16 Opponents Revealed City’s Under-21s side have reached the Premier League 2 Play-Offs, where we will face Tottenham Hotspur away tomorrow (7pm kick-off).

8 Hours 24 Mins Ago

Live Coverage Of Millwall Clash Foxes Hub will provide a live stream of City's Sky Bet Championship fixture against Millwall, with audio and video available depending on your location.

8 Hours 56 Mins Ago

James ‘Unlikely To Start’ Against Millwall, Says Rowett Gary Rowett provided an update on Jordan James after the midfielder limped off in our 2-2 draw with Hull City on Tuesday.

10 Hours 31 Mins Ago

Fan Zone Open Ahead Of Millwall Game Our Fan Zone will be open on Friday night ahead of our Sky Bet Championship fixture against Millwall at King Power Stadium.

13 Hours 51 Mins Ago