It is probably safe to say that life has changed a lot in the last two years for England’s Grace Clinton. The 22-year-old has long been highlighted as one of the brightest talents coming through the youth system. Over the last 18 months, she has established herself as a core member of the Lionesses team, one of the success stories of the FA’s investment into the development pathway.
Since making her senior debut and scoring in England’s 7-2 victory over Austria last February, Clinton has looked more at home with every camp that passes. For a player who comes across as though she’s taking everything in her stride and whose infectious nature shines through, she admits she felt the nerves before that first appearance.
“The only time I really got nervous was the first time I was playing for England because I thought, “Wow, this is the first time English people are going to see me properly””, she says. “Other than that, I just don’t really think about it too much.”
“When you look at the best players around you, they just look like they’re not bothered. When I think about Lucy [Bronze] and Keira [Walsh], they’re just like that. I think it’s good not to make the occasion big in your head because then you will just be you.”
Clinton’s technical ability and creativity has never been in doubt. After making the decision to leave her childhood club Everton for Manchester United in 2022, she caught the eye with loan spells at Bristol City and then Tottenham. It is perhaps an indication of the influence of her time at Spurs last season that Robert Vilahamn has been unable to find a way to replace her skillset this campaign. She is now an established member of the Manchester United senior side, scoring seven times in 22 appearances so far this season.
It is perhaps in the last seven months that Clinton’s growth has been even more noticeable as she starts to illustrate what it means to be a truly versatile midfielder. Used as a left-winger and occasionally no. 10 by Vilahamn, she has returned to her roots as a no. 8 this season, with clear developments in her defensive attributes and tactical astuteness.
“It’s been a learning year for me,” she says. “I’d say my mentality to understand the game a little bit more [has improved]. Last year at Tottenham, I just wanted the ball as much as I could. I wanted to play pretty football. But this year, I’ve had to probably dig in a bit deeper and work really hard off the ball. I maybe do the unselfish runs that I didn’t do as much last year to open up spaces for someone else.”
“I’ve learned a lot positionally-wise,” she continues. “Sarina and the coaches have taught me a lot about different things in the game and in tactics. But I think I’ve just learned to just express myself and really work hard.”
Clinton is embracing this versatility that saw her excel, particularly out of possession, in February’s memorable victory over world champions Spain at Wembley. It was a display of relentless energy and physicality that saw her work with Ella Toone and Keira Walsh to keep the likes of Aitana Bonmatí and Mariona Caldentey, widely considered as two of the best midfielders in the world, at bay.
“I’ll play wherever the manager needs me,” she states. “It’s a privilege to be on the pitch… It was hard work, but it was nice to do a job for the team.”
“For me, it was a big confidence boost to know that I can play at this level and I can mark these Spanish girls. There’s no better team to do it against than arguably one of the best in the world. In the past, that [versatility] might have been a little bit confusing at times because you can’t really pin down one position and call it your own. It was nice to really get that opportunity and to feel like, “I can do this at this level”.”
This week’s double header against Belgium in the UEFA Women’s Nations League is another opportunity for Clinton to put herself firmly in Sarina Wiegman’s thoughts with two windows left until the European Championships. It would be Clinton’s first senior major tournament, a challenge that she is relishing should she make the squad.
“Every time we come on camp, it’s so exciting,” she says. “You get to play with the best players and play lovely football. This is another tough test but hopefully we can score more goals, show ourselves off more and show that we’re really playing together as a team… I’d love to play at an international tournament. It would be a dream come true.”
