Shannon O’Brien came off the bench on Sunday to score an equaliser for Leicester City against West Ham United in the Barclays Women’s Super League.
It came well into added time at the end of the second half, underlining how the visitors never gave up on the possibility of taking something from the match.
And O’Brien was pleased to have that kind of impact – adding that the whole Leicester City squad is contributing to performances on the pitch.
“It’s healthy to have competition,” she told the club’s official website. “You need the whole squad to get performances and to do their part. You don’t want to be comfortable playing every week because then you won’t play as well as you can.
“We have to keep pushing each other, and if someone comes off and you come on, that you make an impact, but it’s good for everyone, it’s a healthy battle that everyone needs to thrive in.”
Shannon O’Brien: I’m glad I could make that impact
And she hopes that getting her first goal of the season to secure a valuable pont for the Foxes will put her in head coach Rick Passmoor’s plans going forward.
“I think everyone knows as an attacker that first goal is really vital, and it will give me a lot of confidence going forward.
“It’s so big in terms of being able to push on and kick on for the season. I think you could see how much it meant to me by my celebration.
“The aim, every time you come off the bench, is to try and have an impact and show why you should be playing, or why the manager should pick you for the next game. I’m just glad I could make that impact off the bench.”
The point from Sunday’s match keeps Leicester ninth in the WSL table on six points – within two points of eighth-place Brighton and Hove Albion, and five points clear of West Ham at the foot of the league. Liverpool also have a single point, but they have a game in hand.
