THER’RE used to cheering a player called “Keets” at Manchester City but with Nikita Parris now in Lyon, another Femme Nikita will take centre stage at the Etihad Campus in the FA Cup fifth round on Sunday. 

Goalkeeper Nikita Runnacles will be attempting to achieve what no English goalkeeper has since April 2018 – to keep a clean sheet away to the current Women’s Super League leaders when fourth tier Ipswich Town take on City’s star-studded line-up of internationals spearheaded by the joint-top goalscorer in last summer’s Fifa World Cup, Ellen White.

“I can’t wait, I’m so excited,” she tells me. “We’re all really relaxed about it. We’re going to enjoy the experience. We want to cause them problems as well. We’re certainly not fearful of them in any way.