Dons’ defender Madison Finnie made her debut earlier this season at the age of just fifteen. The step up to SWPL 1 from under-19 level is one that Maddie has enjoyed and she feels she has taken a lot from her new squad-mates.

“It’s been a really good experience so far and I’ve learned a lot already from the other players. It was great to get some game time early in the season and just learning from players like Loren Campbell and Donna Paterson has really helped me improve. The younger girls like Bayley Hutchison and Jess Broadrick have helped too, speaking to me at training and talking me through games has really helped me develop. Players like Bayley and Jess are still really young players themselves and last season was their first up in SWPL one. Even having that year of experience has obviously helped their confidence and gives them the chance to pass that on to some of the younger players.”

Finnie started playing football at the age of ten and she has been following the fortunes of Aberdeen Women since they formed in 2019.

“I was always looking at what the team were doing and followed them when they won back-to-back promotions. There was a lot more interest building in the women’s game at that point and they were obviously a real inspiration for me to make it to their level. I’ve been playing since I was about ten and I joined Aberdeen Ladies at under thirteen level and moved up the age groups. My mum has always been a massive influence as she used to play football and my brother plays too. I started off playing for my school and really enjoyed it and it’s taken me to where I am now.”

Maddie is 16 now and admits that she was a bit surprised to make her debut when she started against Rangers at the Balmoral Stadium earlier this season.

“I was fifteen when I played my first game and it was an experience that I’ll never forget. I was surprised to get my debut so young and especially against Rangers who are one of the top teams in the league. When I saw my name up on the board as starting it was a big shock but I was also really excited about it as well. It’s a great experience to play against some of those players at such a young age. Nicola Docherty and Sam Kerr are players I’ve watched in the national team so it was great to play against players of that level.”

Another international player that Finnie looks up to is fellow defender and Scotland captain Rachel Corsie.

“Rachel is another player who is a massive inspiration to me. I play in the same position and she obviously comes from here too. I’ve watched her play a lot, even when she was in the States and I try to learn from her. I think I’ve learned a lot from just watching her play. She’s very committed off the pitch and I follow her on social media and she always does community related stuff as well which I like. There is always a focus on the central belt players in Scotland but seeing what players like Rachel and Kim Little have achieved coming from the north-east just shows players like me what can be achieved.”

Maddie may look up to the Scotland skipper but she has achieved international recognition herself with Scotland under-17s. “The camps are really good and I’ve played against some really good teams recently in Netherlands, Portugal and Sweden. It’s good to face different teams and you get to learn other aspects of the game playing against different styles. You can learn a lot from team mates that play at other clubs too as they all get coached different things so it’s good to share and learn from that. It’s a really enjoyable experience going away with the national team, it’s an hour to play for Scotland but it is also enjoyable to spend time with the players when you’re eating and living together.”

As she looks ahead, Finnie hopes to keep developing and her aim between now and the end of the season is to push for a starting spot.

“I’m just going to keep pushing as hard as I can between now and the end of the season to get as much minutes as possible. We’ve got a really experienced, quality back-line with good players like Nadine, Donna and Loren as well as Jess who is still young herself. I’m learning all the time at training and at games from them and the coaches and I want to make sure when I get my chance in the team again that I can make the most of it.”