Aimee Everett, the captain of Crystal Palace Women, reflects on the challenges and opportunities in their inaugural Women’s Super League (WSL) season.
The past year has been transformative for 23-year-old Aimee Everett, who recently led Crystal Palace to their first Women’s Championship title as captain. This victory marks her second title, the first being with Leicester in the 2020/21 season. Everett is now one of only two captains under 30 in the WSL, alongside Manchester United’s Maya Le Tissier.
Last Sunday, Everett led her team in their first-ever top-flight match, facing Tottenham. Despite a 4-0 defeat, she remains optimistic. ‘Coming away with a loss is not what we wanted,’ she remarked, ‘Every game is going to be a test. I was proud of the girls for competing at the top level. It’s a very different game to what we were used to last year, but Laura mentioned we should move forward week by week and try to improve on that performance from week one. If we come away with points, then that’s great, but the most we can do is compete and show what we can do at this level.’
Everett’s journey in football could have taken a different path. While at Liverpool in the U23s, she admitted not knowing much about the women’s game. ‘I feel like women’s football wasn’t really that big then.’ Initially eyeing a career in electrical engineering, she juggled an apprenticeship with training and matches, demonstrating remarkable dedication.
Switching from her original position as a forward, Everett has now found comfort as a centre-back. ‘I actually was a No 9 growing up. I played centre midfield in my first year at Palace, but I’ve just settled in that centre-back role now. It suits me a lot better than running the channels as No 9! I feel very comfortable in that position, but I’m still learning and developing.’
Regarding her leadership style, Everett acknowledges that captains have different approaches. ‘A lot of captains lead in different ways and some are louder than others. I wouldn’t say that’s personally my style. I keep reminding myself that who I am is why I’ve been chosen to that and lead by example.’ She recognises the presence of other leaders in the team who contribute significantly, even without the captain’s armband.
Everett has aspirations beyond the WSL, hoping to catch the attention of England’s national team manager, Sarina Wiegman. ‘If that wasn’t mine or someone else’s aim, what’s the point in playing football? You want to try and make it to the top and reach the best level you can. I had a taste of that as a kid growing up, going through the age groups, so I know what it’s about. Now it’s a very difficult task, but that is something in the future I would like to aim for and I’d be stupid not to.’
Crystal Palace faces an uphill battle as newcomers in the WSL, a challenge Everett embraces. ‘It’s no secret we are the newcomers into the league and it’s going to be a difficult year for us. It’s different to last year when we had a bit of pressure on us towards the end of the season, but we were expected to go and win the league, whereas this year, that pressure is completely different and almost gone, in a way. Being the underdogs can work in our favour, and we can go into those games confident, with nothing to lose and just give it our best shot.’
As Crystal Palace embarks on their maiden WSL season, Aimee Everett’s leadership and perspective reflect the team’s resilience and determination. With nothing to lose, they aim to compete fiercely and carve out their place in the top flight of women’s football.
