Liverpool-born Missy Bo Kearns proud to represent Reds, hopes to inspire young girls
SINGAPORE — Amid the recent revival of Liverpool Football Club as a title-contending team in the English Premier League, one of the most gratifying developments for fans is the emergence of Liverpool-born talents such as Trent Alexander-Arnold and Curtis Jones.
They have been a source of pride amid the northwestern English city, significantly contributing to the Reds' successes on the pitch and being role models to young Liverpudlians dreaming of making it to the illustrious football club.
But there is another up-and-coming local who is making a name in the Liverpool team — the Liverpool Women's team, that is.
Missy Bo Kearns may be only 20 years old, but she has already become an important midfielder in the Liverpool Women's team, who are playing in the second-tier FA Women's Championship league.
Her breakthrough performances in the 2020/21 season earned her the Standard Chartered Women's Player of the Season as well as the fans’ Player of the Season honours, as she stood out with her playmaking skills and knack for scoring memorable goals.
For someone who grew up a Liverpool fanatic idolising former men's captain Steven Gerrard, Kearns glowed with pride as she spoke about being able to successfully represent her hometown football club during an online interview with Yahoo News Singapore.
"My family are all Liverpool supporters, so it was an immensely proud moment for me to make it to the team, and even more so when I could make my family proud," she said.
Just like Alexander-Arnold and Jones, Kearns came up through the youth ranks at Liverpool, after being scouted as the only girl playing in the local grassroots team Mossley Hill - coincidentally, as teammates with Jones.
“We were only six or seven then. Curtis was the same player that he is now – confident and loved to get on the ball," she recalled.
“We both joined Liverpool around the same time and it’s great to see he’s doing so well and we’ve come so far together."
And there has never been a better time to climb up the ranks at Liverpool, with manager Jurgen Klopp overseeing an upgrade of the academy facilities and instilling a winning footballing philosophy from the youngest youth sides right up to the senior team.
Kearns is grateful for every piece of advice given by her coaches in every step of her way, and she believes that they have made her the player she currently is.
"It's not just good feedback, but also negative feedback that makes me want to learn from my mistakes, improve and then make my next step," she said. "You then get to build more bridges to become a better player and I really believe there is no better football club to be at right now."
As she bids to lead Liverpool Women back up to the FA Women's Super League this season, she is hoping to set an example for young girls to pursue their dreams with the "Futuremakers by Standard Chartered" logo swap campaign, a global initiative that tackles inequality, promotes greater economic inclusion and supports disadvantaged young people.
This year, the campaign has extended to include the women's senior team as well, with Kearns and her teammates donning the jerseys with the swapped logo in the FA Women's Championship tie against Aston Villa on Wednesday (13 October).
Kearns fully supports the campaign, saying, "Anytime there is a cause that can help young people, it's great. And this helps young women and girls to empower them with the tools they need to shape their own future.
"I would tell young people to be brave and enjoy what they're doing. It's not like a work if you love what you're doing."
And as she progresses in her blossoming footballing career, Kearns is already enjoying the journey. Not long ago, she was named as an ambassador for a local college - together with her childhood idol Gerrard.
"To be mentioned in the same conversation as him is just amazing," she enthused. "It shows that all my hard work in the last 10 years to improve myself as a footballer is paying off. It's a proud moment, I have no other words for it."
ABOUT 'FUTUREMAKERS BY STANDARD CHARTERED'
Eagle-eyed Liverpool fans would have noticed a different sponsor logo, with the words "Futuremakers by Standard Chartered" on the players' jerseys during their Premier League clash with Manchester City on 3 October.
This logo swap carries on as a standing tradition since 2012 between the football club and StanChart to raise awareness for important causes and support individuals in need.
Futuremakers by Standard Chartered is a global initiative that tackles inequality and promotes greater economic inclusion. It supports disadvantaged young people, especially girls and people with visual impairments, to learn new skills and improve their chances of getting a job or starting their own business.
For the first time this season StanChart is working with the Liverpool women's team on the logo swap, as the team donned the jerseys with the swapped logo in the FA Women's Championship tie against Aston Villa on Wednesday.
All the jerseys worn by the men's and women's teams will be signed, and StanChart will be auctioning them off in pairs until 24 October. Fans can bid for them on this website, and donations will be matched by StanChart, with all funds being channeled to Futuremakers by Standard Chartered projects.
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