Naomi Layzell puffs out her cheeks and exhales slowly. For the first time in 28 minutes of conversation, the Manchester City defender’s smile vanishes.
“I kept thinking, ‘I just tarnished one of the best games of my life’,” she says. “I kept thinking, ‘Why does this happen?’”
Layzell is speaking to The Athletic from her home in Manchester about an evening in early October that will be a default talking point for the rest of the England youth international’s life: the night the relatively unknown 20-year-old cut a Champions League group-stage match against Barcelona in her image.
The reigning European champions’ starting XI for the game included two-time Ballon d’Or winners Aitana Bonmati and Alexia Putellas, England midfielder Keira Walsh, Norway winger Caroline Graham Hansen, Sweden wing-back Fridolina Rolfo and Spain centre-back Mapi Leon.
But it was Layzell — signed in the summer from Bristol City after their relegation out of the Women’s Super League and operating at right-back instead of her usual position in central defence — who scored City’s first goal, set up Khadija Shaw for the second and shackled Barcelona’s left side to give the home team a deserved 2-0 win.
It was all the more impressive considering, before that night, Layzell had…
