EXCLUSIVE: Manchester United's Maya Le Tissier reveals pre-match rituals ahead of FA Cup final

The Man United centre-back discusses how she will prepare to take on Chelsea at Wembley

Manchester United will appear in the Vitality Women’s FA Cup final for the first time in the club's history this weekend - and it will also be Maya Le Tissier’s first taste of such an enormous occasion.

“I'm excited at the minute,” the 21-year-old said. “I think the lead-up to the FA Cup final is going to be really special. I’ve not been part of an FA Cup final before, so to have my family and friends there as well, it's gonna be really nice.”

But what about her pre-game rituals? Especially taking into consideration a packed-out Wembley Stadium for the most prestigious domestic competition in football history.

“I do have to have a banana before a game, I have the same playlist that I listen to on the drive in and I’ve got to crack my neck twice in the tunnel, and it only really cracks just before a game. Actually, that's a bit weird,” she said while laughing.

The defender came into Marc Skinner's squad at the start of the 2022-23 campaign and has looked a natural at United ever since. She told MEN Sport how it felt when she got the call about moving to United.

“At first, I didn’t think it was real,” she admitted. “I had my agent call me and I was like, 'nah, that's not true', but [I felt] excitement. It was nice to know it was actually real.

“Personally, I don't think [this season] could go much better. Of course, you can always improve your performance and stuff. But to come into this calibre of players and to play in every game, I wasn't expecting that.

“Obviously I came and signed because I wanted to play but it doesn't just get given to you. He’s trusted me to play the game, so it's going really well.”

Le Tissier's main job at Wembley will be to keep Sam Kerr quiet. United have suffered two losses to Chelsea this season, their only league defeats of the campaign so far.

Kerr got the better of United’s backline in both games, so Le Tissier's biggest task will undoubtedly be stopping the Australian. “You have to concentrate the whole game [when playing Kerr] and there's not many strikers that you really have to be," she added.

“She’s a great player, her movement is probably one of the best in the league, if not in the world. It's just about concentration and working towards our strengths to kind of minimise hers. But a fantastic centre forward and I think it's going to be key to stop her.”

United and Chelsea go head-to-head on Sunday at a sold-out Wembley for the 2.30pm kick-off.

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