Stornoway star Kayleigh Mackenzie says taking on Rangers in Scottish Cup with Inverness Caley Thistle is the stuff of dreams
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Inverness Caledonian Thistle Women defender Kayleigh Mackenzie says Sunday’s Scottish Cup tie against Rangers is what dreams are made of.
It will be the biggest match of Mackenzie’s career so far, and she will not be alone in that regard amongst the Caley Jags squad.
Rangers sit at the top of the women’s football pyramid in Scotland, and will be taking a squad full of international players to the Caledonian Stadium for the 1pm kick off.
For Mackenzie, originally from Stornoway, the prospect of going up against so many Scottish stars feels like a long way from her time growing up on the islands – and she cannot wait for kick off.
“It’s quite crazy to be honest that on Sunday, we’ll be playing against a team full of internationals,” she said.
“It’s an opportunity for us, and we’re going to grab it with two hands and go head on.
“For me personally, it’s obviously going to be the biggest game that I’ve played.
“Coming from the islands, you don’t get the chance to play in big games like these.
“Honestly, it’s what you dream of when you’re a young girl growing up enjoying football.
“You want to play against Celtic and Rangers, especially if you’re from the islands.
“Some of the girls there dream of playing for Caley Thistle or Ross County because they don’t think you can make it any bigger.
“I definitely didn’t think I would be playing against a team like Rangers, so to have that opportunity five years into my Caley Thistle career is quite special.”
As a Celtic fan, the prospect of taking on Rangers is a particularly enticing one for Mackenzie.
The centre back will be going head-to-head with the likes of Jane Ross – another islander – who has 146 caps and 62 goals for Scotland.
Mackenzie, then, believes the occasion can only be good for women’s football in the Highlands – and for ICT on the pitch too.
“It’s big for the area as well as being massive for us,” Mackenzie added.
“For the younger ones, seeing that Caley Thistle are playing the likes of Celtic and Rangers is huge – that will inspire young girls in the Highlands to carry on with football for the chance to play against them as well.
“To be fair, I think we’ll be able to take a lot from it. It’s going to be tough, but we’re all up for the challenge and I think as a group it will make us a lot stronger. It’s going to be an exciting game, and we hope to see as many people there as possible.”
