Prior to Celtic’s defeat to Glasgow City in the first SWPL1 encounter, following the extended winter shutdown enforced by Covid-19 restrictions, Chloe Warrington could have been excused for having her nose out of joint somewhat. Before the shutdown Celtic’s impressive left back and academy graduate had forced herself into Fran Alonso’s side, only to find herself dramatically cut from the squad altogether for the 3-0 reverse to the Scottish champions at K-Park.
Chloe however showed she is made of stern stuff, the sort of stuff that makes a Celtic player, and she forced herself back into coach Alonso’s thinking by knuckling down in training and forcing the Spanish coach to into a welcome backtrack. It’s the sort of commitment, allied to top class performances over a three-game run back in the team that may well see the player, who remains on an amateur contract, to be in line for that first professional deal alongside the regular starting slot she’ll be aiming to nail down.
It will also help that Warrington is more than aware that as a full back at Celtic you can be the first point of attack as well as the last line of defence, as she showed by winning the ball, starting the counter attack and ultimately supplying the perfectly weighted assist for Mariah Lee to ultimately score the goal that resulted in a second win of the season over an expensively assembled – much more so than her own team – theRangers at Celtic Park.
Mariah Lee got the headlines but there is no goal without the impressive Warrington’s awareness that if she got to the initial clearance from the Celtic defence a chance to break on an overcommitted opposition was very much on. In the space of a few seconds Warrington had carried out the donkey work and bust a lung to supply the final ball that Mariah lee slotted home – and celebrated – so nonchalantly.
Speaking after the game to Celticfc.com Chloe commented on the level of competition within the squad as many talented players watched from the sidelines against theRangers just as she had against Glasgow City: “The competition within the team is massive – there’s girls who weren’t in the squad tonight so you don’t take it for granted.
“It’s hard and you need to put the work in to get in, and once you’re in you need to prove you deserve to stay. I wasn’t in the squad in the first week and I came in and trained as hard as I possibly could and I’ve managed to secure my spot for now and tonight I think I gave a good performance,” Warrington added.
Having been with Celtic from the age of seven, Chloe Warrington falls into the ‘one of our own’ category that every Celtic fan wants to see in a Celtic team. Indeed the term ‘the Celtic way’ is as much about home grown talent taking the field as it is about a style of play, so far Chloe is ticking both those boxes.
Discussing the Glasgow Derby victory and echoing Head Coach Alonso’s thoughts from his press conference that the Celts had been unfairly dismissed as being out of what was now apparently a two-horse race for the title, Chloe had plenty to say on that and how amazing it felt to turn the tables on the naysayers: “I can’t really sum it up into words. This is why we play and we came here wanting to put on a performance the way that we did. We came into the game having been ruled out before we’d even played so we came and showed exactly why we shouldn’t be ruled out just yet.”
And ahead to today’s next must win game for Celtic Chloe showed a level of maturity that belies her years as she discussed the team ethic evidenced on Wednesday night: “In a game like that you just need to remain focused and work hard as a team and when you go up 1-0 at such a late stage in the game you know the pressure will be on, but we showed that we work on that every week. We showed when you’re a team and you fight you’ll get the win.
“We need to take the chances that we get and tonight we did that. I wouldn’t say we had many clear cut chances but we when got the one through on goal it’s about finishing it and Mariah done really well to do that. It’s not about all the chances, but the ones you take.”
It will certainly be a surprise if Fran Alonso omitted Chloe Warrington for today’s game against Hibs at K-Park, one live on BBC Alba with a 4.10pm Kick off. It might not have the glamorous surrounds of Wednesday night’s Glasgow Derby which was switched to Paradise (quiet and empty today), but it is is just as important to the team in their quest for a Champions League spot and perhaps even a chance at winning the league.
Celtic’s defence is starting to look like a stable and dependable unit and Celtic’s home-grown star is playing her part turning that steady defence into attack. Chloe has certainly responded to being left out the squad to face Glasgow City, on recent performances she’ll take some shifting now.
Niall J
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