We travelled to Ipswich to sit down with the second FA Cup Baller of the Round, goalkeeper Natalia Negri. After drawing 2-2, 20-year-old Natalia saved two penalties as her side faced Hashtag United in the second round proper of the FA Cup.

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SAB: When the second round-proper game was finally over, what emotions did you feel? 

Natalia Negri: I was so happy when the game was over. I mean, it was a game of two halves It was very back and forth, but it was a great game to be part of.  

I was buzzing with the win and I was buzzing that the girls managed to get through to the next round. 

SAB: What was going through your head when you made two saves in the penalty shootout? 

Natalia: Well, I’d never actually made saves in a penalty shoot-out before. I’ve never been involved in a competitive one, so it was probably just as much a surprise to me as everyone else. But no, I was so happy that I managed to help the girls get through to the next round. 

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

Natalia: It’s a massive cup. It’s one of the most prestigious cups in football. Everyone wants to be part of it and everyone wants to get as far as they possibly can. It means a lot to be part of it and to do it with a club like Ipswich, is something I’m very grateful for. 

SAB: What was your favourite moment from the game? 

Natalia: You’d probably think my favourite moment from the game would be saving the penalties, but it was actually Sophie Peskett’s equaliser in the last minute.  

That was absolutely unbelievable. My manager showed me a video of me running around the box celebrating.  

SAB: How do you stay composed in big games and do you have any tips to young players for dealing with nerves? 

Natalia: My mum actually said to me, ‘Turn nerves into excitement’, so that’s what I go into games thinking. I always used to get really nervous for games and now I just turn into excitement and I feel like I enjoy myself more. That’s a great way to settle nerves, especially for young players coming through. It’s such a tough position mentally. 

SAB: What would be your dream opposition to face in the cup? 

Natalia: We actually had this debate the other day at training and I would love to have a top six club in the WSL away at their place at a big ground. But honestly, I would have anyone in the next round as long as it’s a good performance and a good game for us. 

SAB: How important do you think it is for teams like Ipswich to be getting exposure and media coverage in the early rounds of the Cup? 

Natalia: It’s massive. With the men going up into the Premier League, the club has become so huge. For us as well, we want to have the same platform for the women’s team and the way that we’re going in the league, we’re definitely showing that we can do that. So as much coverage as we can possibly get is great! 

SAB: What is your favourite thing about being a goalkeeper? 

Natalia: My favourite thing about being a goalkeeper is probably the fact that you could go from doing nothing in a game to possibly being the hero and saving everyone. It’s a great feeling when  you help the team not concede goals.  

It makes you feel like you’ve played a real part of the game. And yeah, I just love for throwing about. You’ve got to be a bit crazy to be a goalkeeper and I’ve got a bit of that in me. 

SAB: What is your favourite footballing memory? 

Natalia: Probably warming-up on the pitch with Arsenal, when I was a youngster. I was probably only 17, but I got to go with the first team to the Emirates and warm-up with them. I’m actually a big Arsenal fan so that was a really great time for me and my family. Especially my dad who is a massive Arsenal fan! 

SAB: What is the hardest thing about being a footballer that people on the outside don’t see? 

Natalia: Ohh I’ve never been asked that ever! The hardest thing would be just coming in everyday, training, keeping yourself to yourself, your head down and not letting outside noise get to you.  

I think people don’t really realize the work that you have to put in and I think everyone sees the good parts of football, but there’s a lot of tough parts as well.  

Obviously injuries, losing games, winning games, everything is just staying in your own lane! 

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

Natalia: I would rather more teams in each league. It’s quite a short season as it is and the more team in each league, it would make it more competitive. 

SAB: How does it feel to be Baller of the Round? 

Natalia: I’m so happy to be Baller of the Round. I’ve never really won an award like this before, so it’s obviously a proud moment for me and my family as well and I’m just happy to share it with the girls. 

SAB: How far do you think Ipswich can go this season? 

Natalia: It’s a hard one to say because you don’t want to speak too soon, but I have every confidence that the girls go on and do something amazing this season.  

With the togetherness that we have, we definitely want to achieve something special! It’s early on, but I reckon we can achieve great things.