REACHING Euro 2017 has eased an unhappy memory for Rachel Corsie. The 27-year-old Seattle Reign defender was a particularly unfortunate member of the Scotland side which failed to qualify for the previous championship.
Then, in the second leg of a play-off, hosts Spain scored with the last kick of the ball to snatch the final Euro 2013 place. Corsie had earlier departed in agony with what proved to be an anterior cruciate ligament knee injury following a robust challenge on Veronica Boquete – Spain’s star player and scorer of the winning goal.
Extra motivation will not be required when the teams meet again on group business in the Netherlands on July 29.
Corsie now plays her club football on America’s north-west coast, but you can’t take the north-east girl out of the Aberdonian. She remains a passionate Dons fan, attending Pittodrie whenever at home.
In that respect, as in so many others, she is grateful to her parents. “They have always supported me,” she says. “When you come from up north there is a lot of travelling from a young age.”
After two years at Aberdeen Ladies, Corsie made a career-defining move to Glasgow City. She was later appointed captain by Eddie Wolecki Black – with her leadership and resolute attitude playing a huge part in the side’s monopoly of domestic honours.
She made her Scotland debut against France in 2009, and has no hesitation in naming a game two years later as a career highlight.
“I’ll always remember when we beat England 2-0,” she says. “I was captain, and it was a special day for both these reasons.”
It was also Scotland’s first win against England for 30 years. In different circumstances Corsie might have remained captain, but goalkeeper Gemma Fay wasn’t playing that day and continues to wear the armband.
A qualified chartered accountant, Corsie finally took the plunge into the paid ranks, first at Notts County and now at Seattle, where she is starting her third season.
“I always wanted to be a professional player, but also had the fear of doing it,” she admits of circumstances in which she had to leave the higher paid world of accountancy. “It was my friends who pushed me towards it – they said if you don’t do it now you never will.”
Although deployed as a holding midfielder in Euro qualifying, Corsie regards herself first and foremost as a central defender. That’s her position at Seattle, who are one of the top clubs in the United States, and therefore the world.
“I love it out there – the club, the environment. It’s somewhere I’m really happy,” she says when asked if she would contemplate a move back to Europe.
She will savour this summer’s tournament, which kicks off against England.
“There will be a lot of pressure – but good pressure,” she says. “From there the World Cup campaign starts quickly. To qualify for that will be the next goal.”
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