Galton: My love for the game has grown at United

When did you first feel you’d properly made it as a footballer?
“I still don’t feel like I’ve made it, to be honest. I don’t think I will until I retire and look back. All I know is that I’m here right now, which is very exciting, but I don’t know where my career will take me – how long it will be or what will happen – and I don’t think you should ever think you’ve made it until you stop. If I did, that might stop me trying so hard.”

What’s been your proudest moment in football so far?
“Getting drafted in America [in the 2016 NWSL College Draft] was great for me – it was make or break coming out of college [Hofstra University in New York]; if you don’t get drafted you don’t have anything. When you graduate from college in the US, any footballer can enter the draft, then 40 players are picked, and each team has a certain number of picks from the list. I made that list, and I was 13th on it, and I ended up at [New Jersey club] Sky Blue. It would have killed my confidence if I didn’t make the cut – like being told I wasn’t not good enough – so for more than one reason that was a proud moment. Other than coming to United, going to America was the best decision of my career, purely because I went to college. I needed something other than football – I was training and playing football, but also going to school and getting a degree. The training was very intense. They love the gym – the players are very strong, very fit. Whoever wins the race, whoever pushes who off the ball, who wins the ball – that’s the biggest difference. Here it’s more technical, more about seeing that through ball. I like to think I developed the physical side of my game out in the States, though.”

Who was your hero growing up – either sporting or otherwise?
“I always say it, but my dad. He played football until three years ago, and he’s 57 now. He comes to every game I play and always has, and he’s a person I’ve looked up to throughout my whole career. He encouraged me to play, without every pressuring me, from five years old. It was never ‘you’ve got to do that’, it was always, ‘if you want to do it, do it’. That’s why I respect him so much.”

If you hadn’t taken up football, what do you think you might be doing now?
“I like to think I’d be a personal trainer, seeing youngsters grow physically to be better performers in any sport. I was a good runner as a kid – until I was 15, I ran and played football six days a week, but my body couldn’t cope so I had to choose one [sport]. I was only going to choose football though, rather than having to train for long-distance running, which I hate now! I just don’t know though. I’ve been fortunate enough not to have to think of another profession so far, so it’ll be interesting when the time comes.”