Beth Merrick says Wolves will not be counting themselves out in Women’s FA Cup clash with Manchester United
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BETH MERRICK loves juggling her passion for education with playing for Wolves Women’s Championship promotion chasers.
Tonight, the lifelong Wolves fan and secondary school PE teacher, 29, hopes to inspire the next generation in the Women’s FA Cup fifth round.
And that is by knocking out holders Manchester United in what would be a huge giant-killing.
Merrick and her hungry third-tier Wolves pals will go for the jugular when they face a United side, whose stars include England Euros winner Ella Toone.
Meanwhile her students are relishing the prospect of watching their teacher take on the Red Devils.
Midfielder Merrick, who works in the Staffordshire city of Lichfield, said:
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"I’ve got girls who will be going to a match for the first time
"Students that have never been really interested in football that are just excited to come and watch me share a pitch with people who they've heard are good at football.
"I’ve had so much excitement (from my pupils) and Ella Toone has been the big one in terms (of the players) on everyone’s minds.
"There are going to be some really happy children from my school who will be watching their football heroes and watching their teacher share a pitch with these heroes."
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Last year’s FA Cup final decider between United and Tottenham at Wembley, which ended as a 4-0 triumph for the Red Devils attracted a crowd of 76,082.
This was just 1,302 shy of the record-breaking number of spectators that watched Chelsea beat the holders 1-0 in the final the year before.
And Wolves, who are coached by RAF aircraft technician Dan McNamara, hope to see a record turnout at their 6,300-capacity SEAH Stadium in Telford at 5:15pm this evening.
Merrick adds: "Our club has grown so much and women’s football has been growing anyway.
"It’s an emerging sport in its own right compared to men’s football.
"The way that it’s gone and the way that it’s been has changed dramatically.
"At the school I work at I’ve been hearing comments in the last couple of weeks where girls are mentioning the fact of, ‘oh my God, you’ll be playing against Ella Toone!’
"Just that in itself and the fact they can name a Man United Women’s player is a really big opportunity to showcase that."
Merrick’s journey as a footballer began at the age of seven when she entered Wolves’ Centre of Excellence.
After six years in their youth system she would spend a decade at Aston Villa before spells with Sheffield United and Coventry before returning to Wolverhampton.
The former England Under-23 international had a chance to become a full-time player during her Villa days.
She was also part of the side that competed in the Women’s Championship in 2015.
But for Merrick being able to balance her teaching career with her job on the pitch is important.
She said: "At Villa the opportunity was there to be full-time, but I turned it down so that I could do both
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"Having students that I’ve managed to inspire and the comments I have had (from them) over the last few weeks on this game alone has been amazing.
"That’s all from the growth of women’s football and the hard work that people have put in and others that have paved the way for us."