Yahoo Sports Yamashita relishing chance to play at the Etihad
Ayaka Yamashita says she’s excited to potentially play at the Etihad Stadium for the first time when Manchester City host Tottenham Hotspur.
Gareth Taylor’s side host Spurs on Friday 8 November at 19:30 (UK) in the Barclays Women’s Super League.
It represents one of three WSL outings at the Etihad in 2024/25, but potentially the Japan international’s first following her summer arrival from INAC Kobe Leonessa.
During the goalkeeper’s illustrious time in her homeland, she featured at iconic stadiums both domestically and internationally.
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But she admitted she’s looking forward to walking out at the Etihad and following in the footsteps of her favourite goalkeeper – Ederson!
“First, the most important thing is getting into the team and showing my ability,” she explained.
“Also, this is the stadium where Ederson plays most weeks and he is my favourite player.
“I’ve played at national stadiums, but they’re not dedicated football stadiums and you’re far away from the fans so the atmosphere isn’t the same.
“So it will be exciting to play at such a historic stadium.”
Yamashita was one of seven summer signings at the Club following last term’s second-placed WSL finish.
Alongside her were fellow Japan internationals Risa Shimizu and Aoba Fujino who arrived from West Ham and Tokyo Verdy Beleza, respectively.
As a result, the trio linked-up with international team-mate Yui Hasegawa who switched to the Club two years before.
And Yamashita revealed having familiar faces within Taylor’s team has helped her settle in England.
She added: “The other Japanese players have been a great help for me.
“Yui has been a very good team-mate. It’s really nice to play with such wonderful Japanese players and I’m really happy to play with her.
“Also, Manchester City is a team who plays with my favourite tactics so I feel really lucky. I’ve had to adapt to the speed of the play and also I appreciate the high ability of the individual players.
“[Players in England] are very good at shooting so I have had to improve my saving ability to stop those shots.”
Tickets for our latest showdown with Spurs at the Etihad Stadium are available from just £15. For more information on how to purchase, click here.
Additionally, supporters can secure their seats for the trio of WSL fixtures to be played at the Etihad through the Hat-Trick Pack at a price of £40 for adults and £12 for U16s.
