Kerstin Casparij is looking forward to a quiet, cozy Christmas in Manchester this year after finally lifting the lid on her new and improved Manchester City deal.
“It took a long time, but it's a nice early Christmas present,” she tells Sky Sports from the Joie Stadium, which she cheerfully calls “home”.
Casparij arrived in 2022 from her native Netherlands, signed from Twente, in response to Lucy Bronze's departure to Barcelona that same summer. The then 22-year-old defender took some time to get acquainted with life in the North West and Man City's unique fast football, but is now thriving in her permanent environment.
“I'm really used to Manchester and I'm having a great time,” she continues. “I'm not a big city girl, and Manchester doesn't feel like a big city, it's nice. The people are incredibly nice, which I think is a northern thing.
“I enjoy my time at the club. The values that the club has really match me and who I am as a person, but I have also grown enormously here in terms of football.”
Casparij has played every minute of Man City's Women's Super League campaign this season, while Gareth Taylor's sidekick makes Chelsea champions six points clear in the table. The full-back, who is dependent on both flanks, has provided two assists while showing her talent in possession, with a passing accuracy of 90.2 percent.
Her last-third pass ratio (she has completed 140) is the third best of any defender in the league, and it is that willingness to jump forward and join attacks that makes Man City so dangerous from wide positions.
City's emphasis on ball retention is also a key reason why Casparij is flourishing. As a team, they are averaging almost 70 percent possession this season, the highest share of any team in the history of the competition. But it's not all fun and fancy.
To challenge for the WSL title in the 2024-2025 season, Man City need to close a sizeable six-point gap on leaders Chelsea, and failed to capitalize on their misstep against Leicester this weekend by closing for the first time in seventeen disappointing to lose meetings to Everton.
“Chelsea is an incredibly strong team and unfortunately we did not take advantage of the loss of points. That is frustrating,” says Casparij. “But that's how football is: they will drop points and so will we. The most important thing for us is that we don't let them distract us, we have to concentrate on ourselves.”
Closing the calendar year on a positive note is now the main goal. Man City travel to Barcelona in the Champions League on Wednesday, hoping to end 2024 with another memorable victory over their Catalan counterparts, to add to the 2-0 scoreline they delivered in the reverse fixture in early October.
“We're confident and feeling good. It's great to travel to Barcelona and it's an incredible match to end the calendar year with. Hopefully it will be a little warmer than here, I can't wait for some vitamin D “It's been a busy schedule, but we want to play in Europe and go deep in every competition.”
Away from football, Casparij's Christmas plans are a little different this year as she celebrates her recent property purchase by inviting her family to enjoy the holiday season in Britain for the first time. Apart from early morning training – which is non-negotiable during the winter break – what else does the winter break offer for Man City's marauding full-back?
“I'm looking forward to having time for my family. We have plenty of free time, the club recognizes well when we need a break, but of course we can't sit still. I get up early to train.
“I'm staying in Manchester this year and my family are coming here so I'll be showing them around and cooking Christmas dinner. We've bought a property and have plenty of space to host so we've invited everyone. I cook and my partner is the baker , so together we can arrange every aspect of a Christmas dinner.”
Casparij's growth, rewarded with a contract until the summer of 2027, is a good example of Man City's direction. They have been in the construction phase for a number of seasons and now it is time for some of that regeneration to come to fruition.
Figuring out how to catch Chelsea in the final sprint between January and May must be seen as the biggest priority of all.
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