When Jess Broadrick scored at Pittodrie, she had to pinch herself to make sure her dream had actually just come true.
The 18-year-old scored Aberdeen Women’s second goal and second-ever at Pittodrie on Sunday in their 2-0 win over Glasgow Women.
She helped her side make Aberdeen FC history as that win in SWPL 1 – which was the Dons’ first this season – was their first-ever victory at the club stadium.
And for Broadrick, who has fond memories of going to Pittodrie as a young girl, scoring in front 1,652 fans at the ground felt like a full-circle moment.
“Scoring at Pittodrie is a dream come true,” Broadrick said. “As a young player, you always dream about this kind of stuff.
“I came to Pittodrie when I was younger with my brother as his plus one when he was a mascot because my dad knew I was crazy about football, so I got the spare ticket.
“We got a tour, met Angus the Bull and went into the boot room, and as much as the boots were a bit smelly, I knew I wanted my boots to be hung up here one day.
“I wanted my shirt to be hung up in the changing rooms here at Pittodrie, so to do that and then to score, it’s a complete pinch-me moment.”
Inspiring the next generation
After the 2-0 win, plenty of Aberdeen fans rushed out to the players’ entrance at Pittodrie to meet and greet the club’s history-makers.
The players spent the best part of 30 minutes signing autographs and taking photos with fans, which is something Broadrick was more than happy to do.
“I’m so proud that my family were at Pittodrie watching,” Broadrick said. “But to have so many people there, especially young girls who might look up to us – it’s amazing.
“I was one of those young girls not that long ago, so it’s all about inspiring the next generation with the things that we do on and off the pitch.
“It’s just simple things like going out to speak to the fans and taking pictures with them after the game, it helps boost that platform of the team with the fans.
“The fans were incredible at Pittodrie – they always are. The more fans we have at games, the better we play. It gives us a boost to go out and show them what we can do.”
Broadrick’s header at Pittodrie was her first goal in over a year, with the last one being a strike from inside the box against Rangers in the SWPL Cup in August 2021.
⚽ A moment to remember for @jessbroadrick! pic.twitter.com/izkPVyCSSf
— Aberdeen FC Women (@AberdeenWomen) October 31, 2022
“They always joke in the team that I only ever score goals in crazy occasions,” Broadrick added. “I was playing as a winger against Rangers and scored, which I didn’t expect.
“I don’t think anybody coming into Pittodrie would’ve expected me to score – especially a header – but for me, it was all about having a good individual performance.
“When we come to Pittodrie, with the fans behind us, all we want to do is have a good performance as individuals and as a team, which we did.”
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