This week marks one year since Lucy Malin made her Senior Team debut for the Bluebirds.
City faced Penclawdd in the Bute Energy Welsh Cup and claimed a 6-2 win, with Lucy’s first appearance for Iain Darbyshire’s side resulting in a goal and an assist.
“Being at the Club for three years before my debut, it was brilliant to get that opportunity to play for the Senior Team and to see how much I had developed over my time at Cardiff City," Lucy began.
“The game went really well. I couldn’t have asked for a much better debut. It was really nice to have that moment and prove that I can make an impact and help us win.
“There so much work that goes into a day like that, not just from the players but the coaches and all the staff as well. There’s so much effort behind the scenes. The coaches put in a lot of hard work to see us develop and that results in us making our debuts.”
A memorable day in her career was shared with debuts for her U19s teammates too, as Seren Thomas and Paige Parsons started.
Madison Kenzy-Aylett, Rebecca Neill and Emillia Ashun all came on as second half substitutes.
Lucy continued: “It was such a surreal moment to have a lot of U19s players step up together.
"To share that with them and support each other, we all had the same nerves and emotions, but we could be there for each other.
"To see how far we had come from the start of the season to making our debuts, it was brilliant. It pushed us to perform even better for the U19s and help those players to make their debuts in the future as well.
“That day showed how well this Club works together and how many opportunities are given. They want everyone to succeed.
"We proved that we could play at that level despite our age. The coaches reward you for your hard work, which is a great environment to be in."
Since making her Senior Team debut, Lucy has been regularly involved with Darbyshire's side, making consistent progress in her development.
“It’s gone really well since my debut," she added. "We went on to become National Champions with the U19s.
"Becoming a more regular Senior Team player this season, it’s proved how much your debut can lead to more opportunities. You have to take your chances as they come.
“Building from that and what the coaches say, you have to take it on board. It’s an exciting time in my career and I’m looking to build on the opportunities that I have had.”