“I love him. My boyfriend and I share him, and I just absolutely love it when he comes up here and stays with me because it’s such a nice feeling to come home to him after training or a match.
“We often do per week or two at a time, so if now we have a house recreation, then I’ll have him. If we’re away, then my boyfriend will take care of him. He’s a extremely good boy and wonderful within the flat when I’m away coaching – he would not make any mess, which is wonderful.”
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Pike has settled into life on Tyneside since her switch from Southampton last summer and “won’t ever say no to a canine stroll and a espresso” in the city that is now her home. The Bournemouth-born midfielder has become a dependable member of the United squad this term – she is yet to miss a league game, and has only not started twice in the WSL2 – with the goal of helping the Magpies reach the WSL at the forefront of her mind.
Her dream of reaching the top shouldn’t come as much of a surprise to people who know Pike, given that at the age of just 13 she climbed the famous Wembley steps to collect some silverware. She was playing for Broadstone Middle School, who were representing AFC Bournemouth – then managed by Eddie Howe – in the National Championships in 2014.
“They marked out a seven-a-side pitch for us,” she says amidst laughter at being shown an interview of herself with the trophy. “I scored within the remaining, and we received to go to the highest of the Wembley steps to raise the trophy, which was good.
“My parents were there watching, which was amazing, and I just remember being out on the pitch and feeling how surreal it all was. I had to keep pinching myself after the game because I couldn’t believe I’d played at Wembley.”
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A reminiscent Pike is all smiles as she watches again her interview from pitchside the place she proudly held the National Championships trophy, and little did she know the way far she’d find yourself getting in such a brief time period. Pike was rapidly taken in by Chelsea’s Women’s crew following her success within the competitors, making the grade at the second time of asking with the Blues.
However, first-team alternatives had been restricted so she moved north to Merseyside to signal her first skilled contract with Everton – a choice that may quickly see her return to a well-known place.
“It was unreal to just be in and around the set-up at Chelsea, and that was certainly where I grew up the most, especially as I got to train up with the first team when I was only 15 or 16,” she says.
“I was playing in my first pre-season friendly with the first team, and I got the chance to start, so I was absolutely buzzing. But I only lasted 20 minutes before tearing my ACL, so that wasn’t a great start for me.”
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With a pathway into the primary crew not presenting itself after her harm, Pike determined to leap into the WSL.
She stated: “I signed my first professional contract at Everton, and I just thought it was a good option for me at that stage of my career, because I got to move away from home and play first-team football.
“In my first yr, I received to play quite a lot of soccer earlier than Covid hit however then once we returned to taking part in – in entrance of no followers although – I used to be so excited, and we had a terrific run within the FA Cup.”
Before turning 20, Pike returned to Wembley with the Toffees after they reached the Women’s FA Cup remaining in that 2019/20 marketing campaign, coming off the the bench to face Manchester City Women – and a future teammate and captain in Demi Stokes – simply earlier than additional time of their eventual 3-1 defeat.
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“When I received referred to as from the bench to go on in an FA Cup remaining at Wembley, it actually did really feel like a full circle second for me, having performed so with my college earlier in life,” she adds. “Obviously, the consequence did not go our manner, and I wasn’t capable of raise one other trophy at Wembley, however to have performed there, on a full-size pitch this time, was wonderful.
“It was during Covid so nobody was allowed to attend the game. Not even my parents could come and watch me, which is still sad for me to think about now as it would’ve been nice for them after everything they did for me growing up.
“But once I give it some thought, not many individuals can say they performed at Wembley twice of their entire careers, so for me to have performed it so rapidly is an efficient feeling.”