Tottenham Women are 90 minutes away from ending the club’s sixteen-year wait for silverware.
Only Manchester United separates them from the historic feat of winning the Women’s FA Cup.
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The two teams will face off in front of a sold-out stadium on Sunday May 12 from 2:30 p.m., live on talkSPORT 2.
But for Tottenham, they will have to overcome the fact that they will be without one of their biggest stars in this crucial match.
Young Lioness Grace Clinton has been hit by the devastating news that she will not be eligible to play against Man United in the final as she is on loan from the Red Devils this season.
Although her skills and work rate on the pitch mean she will surely experience many finals at Wembley during her career, it is a real shame that she will miss this one.
Clinton has been outstanding for club and country this season, scoring four goals and registering three assists for Spurs in the WSL so far.
The 21-year-old also had a perfect England debut, scoring on her first start in a friendly against Austria after just 19 minutes in a match the Lionesses ended up winning 7-2.
Her team-mates were full of praise for her and, speaking as part of Tottenham Hotspur’s ‘Her Journey’ themed evening with TUMI ahead of the final, Spurs striker Rosella Ayane told talkSPORT how impact she had this season.
She said: “To be completely honest, I didn’t know Grace before she came to the club! But she’s obviously made a real name for herself this season. And I’m really happy for her because outside From the ground up, she’s honestly beautiful.”
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But although Clinton will be a huge miss at Wembley, the midfielder’s impact in their FA Cup campaign has not been as big as one might have expected.
Of Spurs’ four FA Cup games this season, Clinton has played in the last three, not featuring in their 3-2 fourth round win over Sheffield United.
She only played the first half of their 1–0 win over Charlton in the fifth round, in which Spurs managed to score a goal in the 76th minute.
Probably her most crucial role in the FA Cup campaign came in their quarter-final victory over Manchester City in which she played the full 120 minutes in a match which Spurs ultimately won on penalties .
And she came off after 77 minutes in Spurs’ 2-1 semi-final win over Leicester, with goals in the 83rd and 118th minutes ultimately securing their victory.
These are stats that indicate that while Clinton has been a key part of what the Spurs have done this season, they can be confident that they are capable of completing the final piece of the puzzle without her.
Spurs will also be reassured that players like Jessica Naz, Martha Thomas, Amy James-Turner and Becky Spencer have all featured in various matches for their team this season.
But Ayane believes Clinton’s absence will still be keenly felt by the team.
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She said: “I think we’re going to miss her at Wembley – of course we do. But she knows how much she’s done for us, getting us to this point.
“And I just hope that she can continue to do what she’s doing because she probably had one of the best seasons of a WSL player at her age. I’m really, really happy for her and I I look forward to seeing her continue.”
Naturally, one of the Spurs’ priorities will surely be retaining Clinton for next season and beyond – if they can.
The midfielder is currently set to return to Man United at the end of the season, but after shining at Spurs, a move could seem an attractive option.
Ayane was asked if she and Clinton’s other Spurs teammates had tried to persuade the youngster to stay with the club.
“To be honest, I don’t get involved in all that – I leave that kind of jokes to everyone else,” she laughed.
“But whatever she does, I mean, she’s a great player. She’s surrounded by smart people and whatever she decides to do, everyone in the next generation will be happy, because it will be the best decision for her. So whatever she does, she’s a great player, I’m sure it will be the best choice.”
Manchester United vs Spurs in the Women’s FA Cup Final is live on talkSPORT 2 on Sunday, May 12 from 2:30 p.m.
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