We’re on the subject of resilience. And, eventually, redemption.
Following a weekend in which Manchester United midfielder Hayley Ladd, along with Brazil striker Geyse and forward Leah Galton, was forced to miss the 5-0 win over Everton to make amends for their midweek Women’s Champions League exit due to a stomach bug (“a lot of nastiness but it’s all over now”), resilience and redemption feel like more than suitable talking points.
Of course, resilience – needing it, honing it, using it – is not new territory for Ladd. In fact, the 30-year-old Wales international arguably has an aptitude for the intangible that most players would rather not.
Last year, Ladd missed out (again) on a chance at a first-ever major tournament with Wales when Gemma Grainger’s side succumbed to an agonising last-gasp goal in extra-time in their Women’s World Cup qualifying play-off final against Switzerland.
The latest near miss was promised a clean slate with the inaugural Nations League campaign, but the territory has tricky territory as Wales compete in League A. Ladd and co. head into the latest international break needing to shake off a 5-1 thrashing by Group C leaders Denmark at home, a match that marked a third successive loss and makes for an effective shoot-out for third place against Iceland.
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Wednesday night’s 3-1 second-leg loss in Paris fell into a similar realm of disappointment, and required calling on her history of resilience, especially as Ladd watched from the bench. Yet, its redemption that Ladd is bidding to achieve after the latest round of heartbreak.
“It definitely fuels your desire,” Ladd reflects. “We wouldn’t be as together and so many things wouldn’t be the same if we didn’t have those set-backs, especially with the Wales squad, coming close and getting good results but not quite getting it over the line.
“The result on Wednesday was tough. It was hard to take. Everyone left everything out on the pitch and in terms of United, we’re early on our journey so to qualify for the first time for the qualification stages and to beat someone like PSG would have been a huge leap speaking realistically.”
Man Utd Women were knocked out of the Women's Champions League by PSGIt speaks to Ladd’s character that the prospect of her lingering on the controversial officiating decision that saw Galton's second-half header ruled out for an alleged foul is slim (“I think there was a goal that obviously could have been… whatever,” she says, though her smile is betrayed by the slightest trace of lingering annoyance), as is any complaining of not featuring in across the European tie despite her consistent place in Marc Skinner's league line-up.
Rather, Ladd looks inward and forward, opting to consider what she can do to return to Europe once more.
“I’m really proud of the squad and the challenges we faced,” she says. “Now the attention turns back to the league and really getting that league form going again.”
United have done well in that regard. The 5-0 victory over the Toffees (their largest victory since the 5-0 win over Championship side Durham in the fifth round of the FA Cup in March) marked their second win of the season and kept their unbeaten start to the season alive.
Hayley Ladd during Manchester United's 2-2 draw with Arsenal (Photo by Matt McNulty/Getty Images)Ladd didn’t feature due to illness. But the midfielder isn’t shy as she declares that a similar vindication is the MO in Wales’ upcoming clashes against first Germany and then Denmark.
“For me personally, it’s a bit of redemption, especially after that Denmark game. We’re not happy with the way the game went and we’re ready to really make those teams hurt and show them what we’re capable of doing.
“If we go back to our basics, our foundation of that stability defensively, I think we can really hurt teams on the break and through other means. So it’s an opportunity to put things right.”
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The task will be tough. On Friday, Ladd, alongside new United defender Gemma Evans, will have to earn redemption while shutting out Germany and star striker Alexandra Popp, who is seemingly on her own redemption tour.
The 32-year-old was also dumped out of the Women’s Champions League qualification stages with Wolfsburg, while over the summer it was her selfie with the Player of the Match award after Germany unceremoniously crashed out of the group stages at the Women’s World Cup that seized headlines.
Wales suffered a 5-1 loss to Denmark in their second Nations League match in Group C (Photo by Athena Pictures/Getty Images)The prospect of facing Popp – who has four goals and two assists across seven matches with Wolfsburg – doesn’t frighten Ladd. “Gemma [Evans] and I faced [France striker Marie-Antoinette] Katoto,” she says. Indeed, Evans and Ladd have formed one of the strongest centre-back partnerships in Wales Women’s history, so much so that the fact Ladd is a midfielder by trade, and preference, often gets forgotten.
“There’s certainly things from a defensive side that I have to switch back onto and be really aware of certain duels and things like that,” Ladd says when asked about her swapped roles.
“But in possession, having that experience in midfield helps me understand how to build play a little bit quicker, and how to maybe get those players on the ball. I enjoy the variety.”
Ladd is realistic about the challenge ahead. Where Grainger defended Wales’ 5-1 rout as a deceiving result, Ladd is typically less rose-tinted. She points to the manner of goals conceded and the slimmer margins afforded in the top Nations League bracket.
“If we don’t get our positioning right, a player like Pernille Harder is going to score,” she says. “If they’ve had five opportunities to score in the way they have bar the penalty, we have to be better.”
Ladd is also quick to acknowledge the space in which Wales are competing: League A of the Nations League against major tournament regulars. It’s put to Ladd that both Wales and United are on the precipice of reaching the next height in their footballing evolution and pushing to right some previous wrongs. Does she see similar parallels?
“With Wales it feels like a longer journey just in terms of time frame but come to think of it, there probably is a matter of overcoming a hurdle, a big ambition,” she says.
“But wherever you get to, if you get to the Champions League, you want to get somewhere else.
“In terms of being a professional, you always have those goals in mind, especially in terms of team ambition. And for me, I feel like I’m in two really good environments in that I feel like we’re thriving, we want to be vulnerable, to learn, to be better and support each other. Both environments are really cohesive and supportive in that.”
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