We travelled to Chelsea to sit down with FA Cup Baller of the Round, Aggie Beever-Jones The 21-year-old Lioness has been instrumental to The Blues in her second season with the club scoring 12 goals in 34 games this season. But Beever-Jones was on fire in the Adobe Women’s FA Cup Semi-Final, scoring in the 94th minute to help Chelsea secure a 2-1 win against Liverpool, taking them into the Final!

Chelsea take on Manchester United in the Final on 18th May!

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SAB: When the semi-final game was finally over against Liverpool, what emotions did you feel? 

At first it was a bit of a relief! Obviously that we’d gone through to the final at Wembley – I was delighted. To get the winner is always nice, but it was such a great team performance from us. We had to battle and fight for it. I’m delighted that we got the win and got through to the Final. 

SAB: What was going through your head when you scored that winner in the 94th minute? 

I had a few missed chances where I was getting a bit in my own head about it – I should have scored. So I just remember Sandy (Baltimore) putting the ball in and thinking this was it, and yeah, I managed to put it away nicely! Definitely the main feeling was relief that we’d done it!

SAB: What was your favourite moment from that Semi-Final game? 

Scoring the winner always! I can’t complain about that!

SAB: How does it feel to be facing Man United in the FA Cup final? 

It’s going to be an exciting game. I know they’re the current cup holders of the competition at the moment, so they’re going to be up for it. We have a point to prove – they knocked us out last year – they’re going to come in wanting to prove that point again! But, equally we’re in a good place and we’ll be ready to give it our all. The FA Cup is such a historic trophy and we would love to bring it home this year! We’ll give it our all and hopefully we’ll do that. 

SAB: What does playing in the FA Cup mean to you? 

It’s the beauty of the cup – you never know what’s going to happen!

It’s fun for the neutrals and something that we really do want to want to bring back home here to Chelsea. Hopefully we can do that and I’m also super excited to play at Wembley!

SAB: How do you stay composed in big games? Have you got any tips for young players about dealing with nerves? 

Just trusting yourself and enjoying it. I’ve always said I played my best football when I’m enjoying it and not putting too much pressure on myself. Obviously sometimes it’s easier said than done, but just knowing that you’ve been given the opportunities because you’ve worked hard for it. I just want to soak that up! It’s always about working hard and if you can leave the pitch saying that you worked hard and gave it everything, then that’s the main thing!

SAB: What’s your favourite thing about being a footballer? 

I get to do what I love every day with people who have become some of the best friends in my life. I never take it for granted. 

SAB: What’s your favourite footballing memory so far? 

I’ve definitely got a few, but I’d have to say, scoring for England the other day was such a special moment for me and my family. Equally, being at Chelsea my whole career is such a sentimental thing to me – we’re big Chelsea fans!

SAB: What’s the hardest thing about being a footballer, do you think that maybe people on the outside don’t see? 

Sometimes you come in every day and you work hard and you may not get as much game time as you want.

It comes with injuries or it can be mentally tough to deal with the pressures. For me it’s always keeping my feet on the ground and not getting too caught up in the media and what’s going on externally.

I want to know that I’ve given myself the best chance of playing and recovering so I just focus on myself and try not to worry too much about external factors. 

SAB: If you could change one thing about the women’s game, what would you like to change and why? 

Just for a funny one, I’d like to say that the manager has to be in the starting 11 just for a bit! Something to make it a bit different!

SAB: And how does it feel to be the Baller of the Round for the FA Cup Semi-Final? 

It’s a great tangible thing to remember that game. You always dream about scoring and then obviously it makes it better when it’s like a last minute winner as well!

It’s a nice little token to kind of look back to – I’ll put it in my room!

SAB: And how are you going to go about trying to get the right result against Man United next month? 

For us it’s about trusting the game plan and trusting the coaches to prepare us the best and then turning up on the day. We’re at the business end of the season, where fatigue can be a factor and we’re in all four competitions, so it’s obviously the place we want to be.

We want to win and we pride ourselves on winning, but you have to be able to do that on the biggest occasions. Playing at Wembley is obviously such an occasion and against United who we’ve got history against! It will be a good game andI know we’ll go out there and give it our all!

SAB: How will you celebrate if Chelsea are successful in the effect our finding that?  

I’ll just celebrate with the girls. I see my teammates pretty much every day and you create such nice bonds, and it’s always nice to kind of celebrate that with trophies. It’s bit like a ‘well done, the hard work’s paid off’, but we’re not done yet! The FA Cup is such a meaningful trophy and something to add to my personal collection and the Chelsea collection, which is always nice as well!