It has been an unpredictable but educational debut SWPL 1 season for Aberdeen Women goalkeeper Annalisa McCann.
The 18-year-old has played out the majority of her first top-flight campaign as the first choice goalkeeper following AJ Meach’s exit.
India Marwaha joined the Dons on loan from Celtic in March, but other than three appearances, McCann has kept her place in between the sticks.
She has featured 22 times in SWPL 1 this term, with 21 of those being starts.
Having made the move up from Aberdeen Ladies under-18s squad, McCann wasn’t expecting to play as regularly as she has but was keen to grasp the opportunity when it came around.
McCann said: “I wasn’t expecting to play a lot this season because AJ was playing. I thought I’d maybe get a few games in the cup.
“I had a conversation with the goalkeeper coach at the time and he told me how it was going to be, but then I get my shot and I’ve played a lot since.
“It’s been an unpredictable season, I’d say.”
The teenager has shown promising signs this season and was named in the most recent SWPL Team of the Week after impressive displays against Dundee United and Hamilton Accies.
McCann believes being thrown into the deep end at such a young age has been the best possible football education she could get.
She added: “I think as a young player I was expected to make mistakes. It’s better to be making them now than when I’m older.
“With some of the goals I’ve conceded, I can put my hands up and say: ‘that’s my fault’ and sometimes if I’ve had a rough game I look back and think: ‘I should have done this or I should have done that.’
“But it’s all part of the learning experience. This season has been about learning from my mistakes and doing the best I can to improve.”
Learning a lot in the pitch and in the classroom
The biggest thing McCann has learnt is the need to stay focused.
She said: “I’ve learnt a lot of things, but concentration has been the biggest thing. Compared to when I was playing under-18s, you don’t realise how focused you need to be.
“The pace of the game and the ball, like against Celtic or Glasgow City, is constant – they’re just constantly going at it.
“And when we were playing against Glasgow Women, I made a mistake and it was just because of a lack of concentration.
“I think I need to have better concentration, personally, but also we could do better with that as a team going into games.”
Well done to @annalisamccann_ who has been named in the SWPL TOTW 👏 https://t.co/0nZJZZYbFP
— Aberdeen FC Women (@AberdeenWomen) May 17, 2023
McCann is not only a student of top-flight football, but also a pupil at Elgin Academy and has just finished up her final year of exams. She hopes to study physiotherapy or sports science at university later this year.
It’s been a bit of a juggling act for the goalkeeper to balance football and school, but she has managed to dedicate her time to both over the course of the season.
McCann said: “Aberdeen have been good because when we’ve had midweek games against Rangers and Hibs, we didn’t get back until 1am, so they booked a hotel because I didn’t drive then and it would be too late to get back to Elgin.
“It’s been difficult to balance school with football, but school have been good as well.
“The teachers are quite relaxed and understanding with the workload they give me. My school, teachers and the coaches have been very patient with me this season.”
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