It’s been quite the 2024 so far for Cardiff City’s new signing Kerry Walklett.
The midfielder joined the Bluebirds in January, making her debut as a substitute in the 3-0 win over Wrexham at the Cardiff City Stadium.
And less than two weeks later, she received her first-ever call-up to the England Futsal squad, inviting her to join a training camp ahead of the forthcoming selection for this year’s World Cup qualifiers.
“I said to my dad, ‘It’s like buses, nothing happens for ages, and then bang!'” she says. “I want to be a part of England Futsal, and I want to be a part of winning the league and then going on to the Champions League with Cardiff City.”
Kerry initially started playing futsal – a modified, indoor version of five-a-side on a hard court – as a break from football, and now trains one evening a week with a match on a Saturday, alongside her Cardiff commitments.
“It’s a game where you can express yourself, go and do your skills, go and be creative,” she says. “I find it a nice reset.”
Kerry is hugely grateful to Bluebirds boss Iain Darbyshire for his support in her dual sporting career – and reveals that some of the skills he has been impressed with have been ones she has honed in futsal.
“He said it was something he liked – my futsal skills, my ability in tight areas,” she says. “And he was great when I got my call-up – he said, ‘As a proud Manchester lad myself, I’d never hold anyone back from representing England!’”
And her new team-mates have been equally supportive.
“It’s opened up a lot of conversations to get to know people a little bit more,” she says. “They have been really good!”
