Jade Rose joined Manchester City last summer. She now finds herself a Women’s Super League champion and on the brink of a domestic double ahead of the weekend’s FA Cup final against Brighton.
The 23-year-old defender has enjoyed a remarkable first season in England after making the move from Canada following her graduation from university, quickly becoming an important part of City’s title-winning side heading to Wembley on Sunday.
But while Rose is preparing for one of the biggest games of her career so far, the centre-back also has one eye on another major footballing occasion closer to home, with Toronto and Vancouver set to host matches at the men’s World Cup this year alongside the United States and Mexico.
“It’s so exciting to have football at home,” Rose said, speaking about what co-hosting this summer’s men’s World Cup means. “I think that the market in Canada is still growing. It’s nothing like the football culture out here in England.
“And so to have that in my hometown, to have young boys and girls be able to go to games and to have something to look forward to, to look up to and to dream about.
“When I think about my career, a lot of that came from World Cups and Olympics and that dream was created there for me.
“So I think it’ll be really special to have that dream created for so many other young footballers back home.”
Rose’s rapid rise almost mirrors the growth she hopes to see in Canadian football. Just a year ago, the defender was finishing university before taking a leap into professional football overseas.
“I think back to a year ago,” she said. “I was graduating university and I signed a dotted line and moved halfway across the world and I didn’t really know what I was getting myself into.
“You obviously try to prepare yourself, but there’s so much about starting your professional career, living in a different country, being in the best league in the world that you don’t really know until you’re in it.”
FA Cup final awaits
The adjustment in moving to England has not only helped Rose develop as a footballer, but also as a person.
“I think that I’ve realised a little bit how introverted I am,” she admitted. “I’ve also realised how, even though I’m brand new to the team and quite young in age, that there’s still ways that I can be a leader myself.”
Now, Rose could cap her breakthrough campaign with another trophy at Wembley, a stage she admits once felt distant growing up in Canada.
“I’m going to be honest,” she said. “As a young girl, the FA Cup is not something that you grow up thinking about, but since I made the choice that I wanted to play in England, it’s up there with the Champions League and winning the league.
“It makes you feel so special. And honestly, so grateful to be able to step onto a historic pitch like Wembley.”
