GREENHALGH LOOKING FORWARD TO BOWING OUT IN STYLE

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Turf Moor debut brings emotional end to retiring striker’s career

2023-04-30T09:00:00.000Z

GREENHALGH LOOKING FORWARD TO BOWING OUT IN STYLE

Turf Moor debut brings emotional end to retiring striker’s career

2023-04-30T09:00:00.000Z

Turf Moor debut brings emotional end to retiring striker’s career

When Sarah Greenhalgh first ventured onto a pitch in the Claret & Blue of Burnley 10 years ago, this Sunday's game at Turf Moor seemed a million miles away.

There had been no training in the build-up to her debut, and she’d paid her fee to play in the game along with contributing to the officials’ matchday payment.

Now, as the forward prepares to step out at Turf Moor and play her last match ahead of her retirement from the game, she reflects on just how far the Club – and the women’s game overall – has come in that last decade.

“To be honest, it’s quite an emotional feeling knowing that we’ll be playing at Turf,” said Greenhalgh.

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“We’ve been wanting this for years, and it’s just such a big thing for us. It’s something we need to make an occasion because it’s a big step forward for us, and another step forward for the women’s game.

“When I first came here, I don’t think I actually even trained, I just turned up and played on a Sunday. We’ve gone from that to training in Towneley Park doing shuttle runs, to now having the opportunity to play at Turf Moor, it’s just unbelievable.

“When you compare where we were when I first started here to where we are now, we’ve come such a long way. I feel privileged to have been a part of the whole transition, going from just being ‘Burnley FC Girls & Ladies’ to then being under Burnley FC in the Community, and now coming under the Club.

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“I couldn’t ask for a better last game than for it to be here at Turf Moor, it’s the icing on the cake that this is where it’s going to end for me. I’ve been a part of the journey here, but so has every other girl that’s ever pulled on a Burnley shirt alongside me, all of the staff who’ve given up their time to help us, and every single fan who has ever watched even just one of our games.

“All of those people combined have helped us to get to where we are today, and that’s why I feel really privileged to be playing at Turf.”

Affectionately known as ‘Buff’ by her teammates, Scouser Greenhalgh has enjoyed numerous stints with the Clarets over the last weekend, taking breaks away from football in the meantime to spend more time with her family.

It’s for that same reason that she’s bowing out of the game following Sunday's game, a decision which hasn’t come lightly.

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“My friends were always here, so it was always such an easy decision to come back time after time. It’s always been a social aspect for me as well as wanting to play for the Club because it’s one I have such a special connection to.

“Some of my closest friends have come through football, and this football club in particular.

“When I last left to have my second child, I honestly never thought I’d ever come back and I told Matt [Bee, former BFC Women manager] one weekend that I’d be playing my last ever game for Burnley.

“This Club has a pull to me, and a lot of the girls, like no other though, I was just itching to get back. I said this year from the start though that I was going to give it my all because it was always going to be my final one.

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“It’s time for me now to spend more time with my family. My little boy’s actually just started playing football now on a Saturday and training in the week, so I need to go and be more of a supporter for him now. When I came back to football, I always had an end date, and this was it. Now we’ve reached it, it’s time to bow out.”

During her time with the Clarets, Greenhalgh has enjoyed as much success and silverware as any other player to wear the Claret & Blue shirt for Burnley FC Women.

The side’s top goal scorer in both campaigns as they won back-to-back promotions into the third tier in 2017/18 & 2018/19, there’s also been County Cup triumphs more recently.

The forward netted a hat-trick earlier this month as Jay Bradford’s side lifted the Lancashire FA Women’s Senior Cup with a thumping 9-0 win in the final against Darwen FC Ladies.

“Nothing gives you emotion quite like football does, we joke about it all the time, because you’re just always on that rollercoaster with highs and lows.

“I felt like we were pushing for it in the first promotion season, but when we went up [to the FAWNL Division One North], we were massive underdogs. We’d grind 1-0 wins week in week out, and teams would honestly say at the end of games against us ‘how are you top of the league?’

We just were though, and that promotion in the end was the special one for me. We didn’t expect it, but it happened, and all of a sudden we’d somehow won back-to-back league titles.

“There’s been so many good memories for me, and this year we’ve had a good season too. This time last year, we weren’t in any sort of title race, so I think our progression this season just shows how comfortable we’ve got in this league.

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“We’re really pushing to get out of it now, and stranger things have happened, so we might still be in with a chance this season if Sunday goes our way.

“Regardless though, if you’d have told me at the start of this season that we’d be so close heading into this last game, then I’d have been very happy. I’m going out on a high wherever we end up in the league, so I feel very proud of the girls and our staff.

“Whatever happens , I’m leaving this Club and this team in such an amazing position both on and off the field.”