In this My Game In My Words series, The Athletic builds towards the conclusion of the Women’s World Cup by talking to leading players around the world to find out how they think about football, why they play the way they do and to reflect — through looking back at their key career moments — on their achievements so far.
For Ona Batlle, one of the stars of last season’s Women’s Super League campaign, the summer involves not only the World Cup but the move of a lifetime. The former Manchester United defender is off to Barcelona Femeni, where she trained as a child; she left aged 18 when it was clear first-team football was not forthcoming. Six years later, via spells at Madrid CFF and Levante, she returns as one of Europe’s best full-backs.
“I left (…) with the mindset I could come back,” she said upon her United departure. “For me, Barca has always been in my heart and it’s not easy to say no.”
We meet in the coffee shop of Batlle’s Manchester apartment building back in late May, a few days before United wrap up their domestic season with the 1-0 win over Liverpool that saw them finish second behind Chelsea. Over the past three years, Batlle has built a home here, in a district popular with the city’s female players. She is understated but likeable,…
