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Manchester United star Grace Clinton has admitted the transfer speculation at the end of last season left her feeling unsettled during the final weeks of her loan spell at Tottenham Hotspur.
The midfielder had an outstanding 2023/24 campaign in north London and her performances under Robert Vilahamn earned her a first senior England call-up. Now, she is back with United and has fully established herself as a starting player for the Red Devils.
However, Clinton has admitted to feeling weighed down by the uncertainty towards the end of her time with Spurs. The London club were understandably eager to keep the 21-year-old in their ranks, but United viewed her as a key component for their future and didn’t want to sell.
“Even towards the back end of last season there was a lot on my mind and it’s not a nice feeling to not know where you’re going to be and what’s going to happen,” she said in a media conference on Monday.
“It was probably a bit unsettling. But, going into this season, United were very keen on me staying for the future. It’s been a lot better for me mentally, I would say.
“Being settled is a massive part of your game, and being comfortable with your teammates around you. I’d say I’ve got good friends at United, and with the team around me, feeling wanted is nice.”
Clinton has only emerged as an England player over the last 12 months. She represented the national team at youth levels, but was handed her first senior call up by Sarina Wiegman last October.
However, she didn’t make her debut until February this year when she started and scored in the 7-2 triumph over Austria. Now, she is among those competing for a spot in Wiegman’s squad for UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 in Switzerland next summer.
Speaking before England’s friendly with Germany on Friday, Clinton is in a place she didn’t think she would be in two years ago.
She watched on from the stands as the Lionesses were crowned European champions in 2022, and now the 21-year-old is a fully integrated member of the squad pushing for a starting place.
“I was actually at the [final],” the midfielder said. “I watched it with my agent and it was unbelievable. Even thinking about it you get goosebumps.
“I actually didn’t [think about competing for the next Euros]. When you’re sitting watching on the side and you see these unbelievable players, you feel a million miles off it at the time. I definitely didn’t think the next year I’d be in and around the group. To think of how far I’ve come is a nice feeling.”
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