Chris Brookes
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Chris Brookes
@chris-brookes.bsky.social
Men’s/women’s football writer. Editor: Her Goal (formerly known as She Kicks) magazine 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿. Ex-Boston Breakers (NWSL) ⚽️🇺🇸 media. SWFC 🦉 fan. Talking music with footballers on http://beatsandrhymesfc.com (since 2011)
Pinned
Haven’t got going with Bluesky yet, but I started on women’s football in 2011, with player interviews on their life/career & music.

The features since have come from around the world, & there’s hundreds of stories on the site, through changing leagues/eras in the women’s game.

Some from this year:
“I am definitely an old soul… I move at a slow pace, I love my ☕️ on the porch in the morning and I love books and newspapers.”

Some pre-Bluesky work from 2024.

🎶⚽️ feature with #USWNT’s Sam Coffey - so vintage that her cassette tape’s starting to skip:

beatsandrhymesfc.com/sam-coffey-i... #BAONPDX
“Australia was the only place I was eligible for, I thought… When I told my dad (about representing Greece), he just started crying, & I thought that was such a beautiful thing.”

Latest 🎶⚽️ feature, with Hibernian’s #SWPL champion 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Stacey Papadopoulos 🇦🇺🇬🇷

beatsandrhymesfc.com/stacey-papad... #Hibs
December 4, 2025 at 5:39 PM
New issue of @hergoalmagazine.bsky.social, featuring #SpursWomen forward & cover star 💫 Cathinka Tandberg 🇳🇴

100 pages on the women’s game, and we’ll celebrate 30 years in 2026.

Available now in supermarkets/other retailers and online here: womensfootballmagazine.com/product/her-... #thfc
December 4, 2025 at 5:27 PM
“Not being selected for the Euros was difficult… I came out of that experience hungrier than ever. It definitely gives me extra fire to prove myself.”

My feature with Sweden forward Evelyn Ijeh 🇸🇪🇳🇬

Music, #MilanFemminile 🇮🇹, Nigeria, #TigresFemenil 🇲🇽 & more:

beatsandrhymesfc.com/evelyn-ijeh-...
November 27, 2025 at 6:59 PM
“I’ve loved my Chelsea career so far & my life here in London... It feels like home. We spend every summer away from London, & then I’m like, ‘OK, I’m going home now.’”

My interview with Guro Reiten 🇳🇴 in this month’s @hergoalmagazine.bsky.social

🔑 womensfootballmagazine.com/product/her-... #cfcw
November 11, 2025 at 4:01 PM
ICYMI: October’s issue of the magazine (our last as She Kicks before the switch to @hergoalmagazine.bsky.social).

100 pages of women’s football, including our interview with cover star 💫 Man City & Spain’s Leila Ouahabi.

Get yours! 👇 womensfootballmagazine.com/product/she-... #mcwfc #BarclaysWSL
October 27, 2025 at 3:52 PM
“I feel more at home in Manchester, with the culture & the people. I think I’ve got a little bit of an accent as well, so I guess I’m becoming more (Manc)…”

My interview with #MUWomen striker Elisabeth Terland 🇳🇴 in October’s @hergoalmagazine.bsky.social

🔑 womensfootballmagazine.com/product/she-...
October 27, 2025 at 3:41 PM
“I think I can be proud of myself the last five games (of last season); I just want to show I can do it through the whole season.”

My interview with Aston Villa’s Chasity Grant 🇳🇱 in this month’s @hergoalmagazine.bsky.social

Get yours: womensfootballmagazine.com/product/she-... #avwfc #BarclaysWSL
September 19, 2025 at 4:45 PM
“I’m really hoping that I can bring more of a leadership role and really step up for Scotland.”

Back at Liverpool on a full deal, Sam Kerr 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 has clear ambitions for club & country.

Our interview in @hergoalmagazine.bsky.social

🔑 womensfootballmagazine.com/product/she-... #LFCW #BarclaysWSL #SWNT
September 19, 2025 at 4:29 PM
“I’m so far from home, and I feel really at home here at Everton. It’s a great club that provides everything I need…so I wouldn’t leave.”

This month’s @hergoalmagazine.bsky.social, including my interview with #EvertonWomen & #Matildas’ Clare Wheeler 🇦🇺

🔑 womensfootballmagazine.com/product/she-...
September 19, 2025 at 4:14 PM
Marc Skinner also confirms that there isn’t currently a 24-hour option to recall the loan players if #MUWomen had first-teamers become unavailable. #BarclaysWSL
Manchester United boss Marc Skinner when I asked about #MUWomen squad depth and the decision to send players on loan (particularly Emma Watson to Crystal Palace, who’d been cited in the past as a big part of his plans).

United named 5 out of 9 available subs v Leicester recently. #BarclaysWSL
September 17, 2025 at 9:21 AM
Also asked Marc Skinner how close #MUWomen youngsters are to properly breaking through.

And if he’d see it as a failure if he doesn’t bring homegrown players through.

“We have this fantasy that because they’re homegrown they can come straight in and play.” #BarclaysWSL
September 17, 2025 at 9:17 AM
Manchester United boss Marc Skinner when I asked about #MUWomen squad depth and the decision to send players on loan (particularly Emma Watson to Crystal Palace, who’d been cited in the past as a big part of his plans).

United named 5 out of 9 available subs v Leicester recently. #BarclaysWSL
September 17, 2025 at 9:12 AM
Asked new #SpursWomen boss Martin Ho how they become enjoyable to watch this season.

Could it come from Matilda Vinberg/Araya Dennis playing bigger roles?

“You have to allow players to take risks & be brave… We will risk the ball at times, we’ll be more aggressive on the front foot.”

#BarclaysWSL
September 6, 2025 at 6:13 PM
Liverpool have signed left-back Alejandra Bernabé 🇪🇸 on a full deal following her loan from Chelsea.

(📸 LFC) #lfcw #cfcw #BarclaysWSL
September 4, 2025 at 6:15 PM
Newcastle United have signed Chelsea goalkeeper Femke Liefting 🇳🇱 on a season-long loan.

Liefting, 20, has been with Chelsea since January, having joined from Dutch side AZ.

#nuwfc #cfcw #BarclaysWSL #BarclaysWSL2
September 4, 2025 at 5:30 PM
Asked West Ham manager Rehanne Skinner about assurances from the club that last season’s top scorer Shekiera Martínez wouldn’t be sold this summer.

#BarclaysWSL #westhamwomen
September 4, 2025 at 2:13 PM
Birmingham have signed Brighton midfielder Libby Bance on loan for the season.

(📸 BCFC) #bcfcwomen #bhafcwomen #BarclaysWSL #BarclaysWSL2
September 4, 2025 at 2:01 PM
Liverpool have signed forward Beata Olsson 🇸🇪 from Kristianstad.

The 24-year-old former Florida State 🇺🇸 star, a national champion in 2021 and 2023, has been back in Sweden since the end of her collegiate career.

(📸 Nick Taylor/LFC) #BarclaysWSL #LFCW
September 4, 2025 at 1:00 PM
Manchester City midfielder Yui Hasegawa has signed a new four-year contract.

The 28-year-old Japan international had extended her contract last January to 2027.

(📸 Declan Lloyd/MCFC) #BarclaysWSL #mcwfc
September 4, 2025 at 10:00 AM
Asked Everton manager Brian Sørensen if he sees Ruby Mace as a midfielder or defender long term:

“I see her 100% as a midfielder.”

Adds that they also signed her to ‘mix the game up’ with their passing range, an area where they are ‘a bit lacking.’ #evertonwomen #BarclaysWSL
Everton have signed Ruby Mace from Leicester City for ‘a club-record fee.’

The defender/midfielder, who turns 22 later this week, signs a three-year contract.

(📸 EFC) #BarclaysWSL #evertonwomen
September 4, 2025 at 9:52 AM
Exact quotes from Brian Sørensen on Inma Gabarro are that Everton are ‘looking into if we can loan her back to Sevilla, just for a season, so we’re going to extend her contract.’ The move is for the 22-year-old to ‘get home, close to family.’

#BarclaysWSL #evertonwomen #LigaF
Everton boss Brian Sørensen when I asked if fans can rest easy knowing that nobody will be sold before the #BarclaysWSL deadline (he’d already said Inma Gabarro is rejoining Sevilla on loan):

“We’re working maybe on one loan for the youngsters but let’s see how that plays out.” #evertonwomen
September 4, 2025 at 9:26 AM
Everton boss Brian Sørensen when I asked if fans can rest easy knowing that nobody will be sold before the #BarclaysWSL deadline (he’d already said Inma Gabarro is rejoining Sevilla on loan):

“We’re working maybe on one loan for the youngsters but let’s see how that plays out.” #evertonwomen
September 4, 2025 at 9:18 AM
Brighton have signed 20-year-old Japanese midfielder Fuka Tsunoda ‘on undisclosed terms.’

Tsunoda joins from Urawa Reds.

(📸 BHAFC) #BarclaysWSL #bhafcwomen
September 4, 2025 at 8:01 AM
Leicester have also described Ruby Mace’s transfer as ‘a record sale for LCFC Women.’

#BarclaysWSL
Everton have signed Ruby Mace from Leicester City for ‘a club-record fee.’

The defender/midfielder, who turns 22 later this week, signs a three-year contract.

(📸 EFC) #BarclaysWSL #evertonwomen
September 3, 2025 at 1:32 PM
Everton have signed Ruby Mace from Leicester City for ‘a club-record fee.’

The defender/midfielder, who turns 22 later this week, signs a three-year contract.

(📸 EFC) #BarclaysWSL #evertonwomen
September 3, 2025 at 1:30 PM