A rising football star has made her debut for Dundee United’s senior women’s team aged just 14.
Elsie Salmond, who goes to St John’s High School, made her bow for the Tangerines during their friendly game against Spartans FC on Sunday.
She is thought to be one of the youngest players to ever turn out for the side.
While the team were beaten 8-0, the left winger impressed coaches and spectators due to her young age and dedication.
‘The proudest mum in the world’
Mum Samantha Lee Fyfe said: “The best way to put it is that I was the proudest mum in the world.
“I’ve witnessed all the hard work that’s gone into this, the discipline, all the not-so-nice bits of football, so to see her get on the field with the senior team is amazing.
“She started playing football when she was three at mini-kickers, she did Box training when she was five and they really helped her develop her skill with both feet.
“She’s also played for Celtic Boys too.”
Team manager Graeme Hart says he is keen to give the youngster a chance after witnessing all her hard work.
He said: “I picked Elise and the other two from the under-17s was because they’ve been doing really well in the squad and I wanted to give them a chance at a higher level.
“When she first came on she was excellent. I think the intensity of the match frightened her a bit, but that can be worked on with practice.”
Development at DUGA
Elise’s debut has also been hailed by her development school, Dundee United Girls Academy.
Georgia Carter, a development officer at the facility, said: “It was a very proud moment to see someone so young make their senior debut for the club.
“It’s been nice to see her developing and growing as a player.
It was delightful to see U17 trio Clara Laing, Elise Salmond and Morgan Airlie all play a part in today’s friendly with Spartans.
While Morgan has already made her senior debut last season, it won’t be long until we see the likes of Clara and Elise make theirs in a United shirt! https://t.co/7tGyCKrn8z
— Dundee United WFC (@dundeeunitedWFC) August 22, 2021
“I think what sets her apart is that her work ethic is always there. She’s confident and she knows that she’s good, so she’ll run at other players and make the game a nightmare for them.
“I think that there’s a lot of potential for her going forward but this is a good start for her, she’s definitely on the right track.”
Under-17s coach Adam O’Donnell said: “It was a special moment, not just for her but for the academy itself.
‘Incredible natural talent for a 14-year-old’
“We are still fairly new, we started in 2019 and then of course Covid struck so we’ve only really been running for about a year, so it’s really good to get young players going up.
“Elise has got incredible natural talent for somebody who’s only 14.
“She doesn’t shy away from anything at all.”
