WARRINGTON’S Caitlin Hayes was seemingly set for a sporting life from an early age and now she is looking to make history while living her dream in the heart of the Celtic defence.
The 27-year-old former Bridgewater High School and Stockton Heath Primary School student helped the green and white Hoops to a second consecutive Scottish Women’s Cup Final success last season, defeating Rangers 2-0 in front of 10,446 fans at Hampden Park.
Individual honours followed as Hayes, who hails from Walton and also starred in athletics, rugby league, hockey and martial arts as a youngster, collected Celtic's Player of the Year, Players' Player of the Year and PFA Player of the Year awards.
But the Scottish Women’s Premier League title remained elusive as Hayes and her teammates led Celtic to runners-up spot for the fourth time, only missing out by the narrowest of margins on the final day of the season.
The new campaign starts away to newly promoted Montrose on Sunday and, no stranger to silverware since her school days, a historic first league title success is the ultimate aim – but that is only one of the reasons why she signed a new three-year contract earlier this summer.
Being a professional footballer and playing for the club she has supported her whole life means the world to her.
“It’s an honour and privilege to play for this club, and it’s not just the football,” said Hayes.
“It’s for the community that this football team is creating.
“It’s an intimate group of people that are passionate, and they support this club, this badge and our team.
“It’s something I hope to grow and I hope to be a part of, and that three-year contract on the table was something I couldn’t turn down, knowing that the trajectory this club is on is great, and it’s something I want to be a part of.”
Her father’s passion for Celtic was passed on to her from an early age.
“This is the biggest of biggest dreams and I live it every day,” said Hayes, who is renowned for playing the game wearing a pink headband – a fashion that is copied by her young fans on the terraces.
@caitlin5hayes sometimes there’s no need for words pic.twitter.com/dS3KRhOK3d
— Marc Cassidy (@Marc_Cassidy) May 11, 2023
“Sometimes I do have to pinch myself and remind myself that this is what my nine-year-old self dreamt of.
“It’s something I never take for granted, it’s a privilege and an honour and it’s just the greatest feeling.”
Back in 2008, Warrington Guardian reported on Hayes’ all-round sporting prowess.
Then, Hayes, who was involved with sport almost every day, was showing the determination to succeed that epitomises the approach to her career now.
She was representing Cheshire in the Inter-Counties Schools Cross Country Championships, Warrington Athletics Club in the county event and successively winning the town’s schools series.
Hayes was a member of the highly successful Warrington Town girls under 12s team, who were crowned champions of their north west league in the 2007/08 and 2006/07 seasons.
She had been enjoying martial arts since the age of eight and was climbing the belt ladder at Warrington Samurai Judo Club.
Hayes had celebrated skippering her Stockton Heath team to glory in the Phillip Williams schools rugby league competition, with the final played at The Halliwell Jones Stadium, and as a year seven pupil had been selected for Bridgewater’s year eight hockey side.
She eventually settled on the football route, climbing the ranks with Manchester City, Manchester United and Everton before playing in America with Mississippi College.
Hayes, a Bachelor of Science in kinesiology which has provided her with a scholarly understanding of human movement and physical activity, made the move into the Champions League with Cypriot club Barcelona FA, then joined Lewes FC in East Sussex before finally ending up at the club of her dreams in September 2020.
She has already written her name into Celtic folklore in so many ways, including scoring the club’s first Champions League goal against Levante in 2021 and netting the winner that same year as Celtic won the Scottish Women’s Premier League Cup for the first time since 2010.
But it is the league title which Hayes, the Celts and a growing passionate army of supporters crave in a season when the Hoops will also be playing in the Champions League for only the second time.
She goes into the new season gunning for that glory having set a high benchmark with her complete set of personal honours at the end of last term.
“I’ve put myself under a bit of pressure to perform but I didn’t get those rewards because of my own performances, I got them because my teammates made me look good and that’s genuinely the honest truth,” she said.
“Sometimes it was a bit of an imposter syndrome moment. I’m thankful for having them but ultimately we didn’t get what we wanted, which was that league title, so that’s what this season’s about, that’s what we’re going for and that’s what myself and my team-mates will work hard to reap the reward of.”
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