Emily Wallace is ready to focus solely on football.
The 23-year-old full back has just signed a professional contract with fourth-tier Norwich City – switching from tier three’s AFC Wimbledon.
Amidst the excitement of househunting in Norfolk, she’s getting used to having daily access to football rather than training twice a week around a couple of part-time jobs to pay the bills
“That was really appealing,” she tells SheKicks.net. “It’s a step up in terms of training load, and I think, obviously at my age, being more full time is what I’m after.”
She adds: “I don’t have to worry about getting up, going to work – it’s everything [is] into football and what I do is for football.”
Wallace’s previous clubs include Oxford United, Watford and Rugby Borough, so she has great experience at a higher level – and she’s been impressed with what she’s seen at Norwich so far.
“Some top tier three clubs don’t have access to what we have access to,” she says. “It shows that Norwich are set up for success hopefully going forward – and if we do get promoted, the foundations are already there to compete in a higher, tier 3 league.”
Emily Wallace: There are no easy games
The Canaries have lost just one league match so far this season, and sit one point behind Fulham in the FA Women’s National League Division One South East.
They were frustrated to drop points in a 1-1 draw against Luton Town last weekend – but Fulham also failed to win, drawing 2-2 with Dulwich Hamlet.
And the crunch match comes next weekend when the Lilywhites travel to East Anglia for a top-of-the-table tussle.
“No game is an easy game,” says Wallace. “Anyone can beat anyone. We’re competing with Fulham mainly at the top of the league and they’ve dropped points, we’ve dropped points.
“And they’ve got to come to us at the Nest – which should be a good game!”
Keeping up that unbeaten streak is easier said than done – but Wallace says she and her new team-mates are set on their promotion goal.
“It’s all mentality, I think,” she says, “and we do have quite a strong mentality within the group – so hopefully that stands us in good stead.”
