Caroline Weir: My best goals, kits, venues and team-mates

Scotland and Manchester City midfielder Caroline Weir has played at some famous venues, alongside talented team-mates and in some impressive kits during her career so far.

But who made her go “wow” in training, which venue had a “crazy” atmosphere and which goal prompted an “embarrassing” celebration?

Speaking to BBC Sport, Weir reflects on some of the highlights of her career in her own words – including her breakthrough season and the best goals she has scored for club and country…

My most talented team-mates

When I was at Arsenal, [former England striker] Kelly Smith was coming towards the end of her career. She didn’t train as much but when she did, she was always the standout. She wasn’t even running about loads but when she got the ball she did something with it that nobody else could do.

We might have been losing or things weren’t going our way and she would come on and change the game. I always remember Kelly’s impact because I was quite young at the time. I just thought ‘wow, she really is as good as people say!’.

I always judge players who I train with and see every day and my Manchester City team-mate Keira Walsh is so young but she is definitely up there as one of the best players I have played with.

This season we have played a little closer together in midfield so I’ve probably appreciated her more and what she does for the team so consistently. Technically with the ball she can spray passes for fun so she’s great to play with.

The best goal I’ve scored

The obvious one is the derby goal against Manchester United this season. The way the day went, the occasion and to score that kind of goal at the Etihad… it is definitely up there.

On her celebration for that goal, which involved running round aimlessly and looking a bit shocked: It was embarrassing! I don’t know what I was doing. My celebrations are… yeah, not something I like to talk about!

I also think scoring at Hampden Park when I scored a free-kick against Jamaica. As a Scot, that is literally something I dreamt about as a child.

I did the knee slide celebration because we had spoken about that before the game. We were having a meal and we were like ‘we are playing at Hampden tomorrow; imagine if one of us scores? We have got to do a knee slide!’.

It was a little bit delayed after scoring so the pictures definitely make it look better than it was.

My favourite venue

Internationally, the best venue would probably be the Parc des Princes when we played Argentina in our last group game at the World Cup. We had to win by two goals and the first 75 minutes was probably one of the most enjoyable games I’ve ever played in.

We were winning 3-0, there was almost 30,000 people and so many Scottish fans. The atmosphere was great because it’s quite a small stadium so it’s not like Wembley which is massive. It’s quite enclosed, noisy and you can’t really hear people. I remember just thinking ‘this is crazy!’.

It went downhill after that [Scotland ended up drawing 3-3]… but in terms of just the venue, it’s up there.

With Manchester City, playing at Wembley last season in the FA Cup final was really cool. I’ve always wanted to get there so that was an ambition that came true.

The smartest kits…

The pink kit we wore with Scotland at the World Cup was pretty smart. I really liked the home kit we had as well just before the World Cup. It had a nice v-neck, was blue and was really smart.

My favourite Manchester City kit is the black one that we have been playing in this season. That feels so long ago now!

My breakthrough moment…

I was named in the PFA Team of the Year and was nominated for Player of the Year in my first season at Liverpool [in 2017]. At Arsenal I didn’t really play much, then I went to Bristol City so when I moved to Liverpool I felt like it was my season to go out there, play with freedom and enjoy my football again.

I felt like I proved to myself I could play at this level consistently. It was really enjoyable and I loved my time at Liverpool. That season pushed me on to Manchester City and was probably the moment that got me up to a certain level.

It came at a time when the game was really growing as well. All of it was going to a new level, whether that was on the pitch or off it, and I was just trying to keep up with it.