Albyn Pupil Signs for Aberdeen FC Women’s Team

Melissa, who joined Albyn in 2022, has taken the number 17 shirt at Aberdeen FC and has already made her mark at senior level. The forward was named in the starting line-up for Aberdeen’s recent match against Glasgow City and has also featured from the bench against both Spartans and Hearts.

For Melissa, returning to Aberdeen FC is particularly special. She first joined the club as an 8 year old and remained there until the age of 16, before spending a season playing senior football with Forfar Farmington FC.

“I have been at Aberdeen since I was quite young, so it was quite familiar to me,” Melissa explained. “Then I got released last season. I was playing senior football for a year with Forfar Farmington and then I got a text from AFC asking if they could see me at trials.”

Following a successful trial, Melissa was offered the opportunity to return to Aberdeen and join the senior team. 

“They said I had huge potential and so would love to sign me, and already with just a few weeks in I feel like I am developing more,” she said.

The move is a significant step up in playing level, but Melissa believes her year of senior football with Forfar Farmington gave her valuable experience and helped prepare her for the opportunity.

“It’s obviously a higher standard than the senior football I was playing before, but because I had a year with senior football I got a taste of how it worked,” she said. “I think the setback of being released was what I needed to push me to keep working and grow from it.”

Now back at the club she has supported since childhood, Melissa is relishing the chance to represent Aberdeen at senior level.

“Aberdeen is home. I was delighted to be given the chance, it’s been a dream to play for the first team. I’m really going to use the opportunity, put in the work and do as best as I can there and hopefully get the most out of it.”

Growing through football at Albyn
Melissa’s development has also been supported by her time at Albyn, where she has balanced her studies alongside an increasingly demanding football schedule.

When Melissa joined the school in 2022, there was no girls’ football team. Together with her friends, they approached teachers about creating one, helping to establish an opportunity for more girls to get involved in the sport.

“It was good to get the school involved in football and have more girls playing,” Melissa said. “It’s really exciting that there are now girls’ teams.”

Her school experience has also provided opportunities beyond regular football. Melissa took part in the International Scottish Schools event, playing against Ireland, England and Northern Ireland, and has also represented Boys and Girls Scotland (BGC) Scotland and attended Scotland football camps. She credits staff at the school with helping her access some of these opportunities…

“The International Scottish Schools event that I played in, it was Mr Wilkie who put me down for the local one, and that’s how I basically got into the international one,” she explained. “Without Mr Wilkie and the school putting my name forward I wouldn’t have been able to do that.”

Melissa has also benefited from Albyn’s wider approach to physical development. Last year she took part in Hyrox sessions as part of her PE classes, which she says helped to improve her strength and stamina and complemented her football training.

Faculty Head of PE and Sport at Albyn, Jimmy Lamont, said Melissa’s achievement is a fantastic example of what can be achieved when talent, commitment and hard work come together.

“Melissa’s journey is something we are incredibly proud of at Albyn. She has shown tremendous commitment to her football while continuing to work hard academically, and she has embraced every opportunity to develop as a player. It is particularly pleasing to see how she has responded to setbacks and used them as motivation to come back stronger. Her signing for Aberdeen’s senior women’s team is a fantastic achievement and a credit to Melissa, her family, her coaches and everyone who has supported her along the way. We are delighted to see her taking this next step and look forward to following her progress.”

Balancing football and school
Making the move into senior football has brought an even greater training commitment for Melissa. With Aberdeen training almost every day, managing football alongside schoolwork requires careful planning. Last year, while travelling regularly to Forfar, Melissa often used journeys to complete schoolwork ahead of prelims and exams.

“I would take my iPad and try to get as much done as I could,” she said. “I would even have little flashcards that I would take with me to get in the work and remember what I could.”

What’s her advice for other young people trying to balance sport and study?

“Make the most of the time available. It’s definitely manageable if you really put your mind to it, you’ll be able to do anything,” she said.

Looking ahead
Having already made her senior debut, Melissa is now focused on establishing herself at the highest level possible and making the most of every opportunity that comes her way. 

“I am most excited to get the experience playing against top-level teams such as Rangers, Celtic and Hearts, and seeing how I can fit in and seeing if it’s the right level for me,” she said. "My goal for the season is to simply play well with the team, and hopefully get a few goals if I can. I hope to show what I can do on the pitch if I get the opportunity, whilst staying injury free!”

Looking further ahead, Melissa hopes to continue pursuing football after school, while keeping her options open for a career alongside the sport.For now however, she can enjoy the achievement of pulling on the number 17 shirt for AFC’s women’s team, a journey that began as a young player at the club and has been supported throughout her time at Albyn.

Everyone at Albyn wishes Melissa every success for the season ahead. We look forward to watching her continue to develop and represent both Aberdeen and Albyn with pride.