Western Daily Press (Saturday)
‘You don’t need extra motivation for a final’
TOTTENHAM forward Martha Thomas requires no extra motivation to get the last laugh over Manchester United in the Women’s FA Cup final tomorrow.
Thomas was allowed to leave United to sign for Women’s Super League rivals Spurs in September after she endured a difficult 2022-23 campaign with the Red Devils.
Minutes were hard to come by at United for Thomas, who was a late substitute in the club’s FA Cup loss to Chelsea at Wembley last year, but she has flourished in north London with ten goals in all competitions.
Ahead of a return to the national stadium, the 27-year-old played down talk of a revenge mission.
“No, I don’t think it is necessarily extra motivation,” Thomas told the PA news agency. “I don’t think you need any more extra motivation than an FA Cup final, wanting to get your hands on some silverware and putting this club in such a pivotal position to do that.
“I don’t think it will have a big impact. So, I will stay focused and if I get on the pitch and play, I will try to help the team in any way I can.”
Thomas has played a key role in Spurs reaching a first major final after she struck an extra-time winner in the semi-final against Leicester, although it could well have been a different story.
While the former West Ham attacker wanted a new challenge last summer, a move away from United appeared unlikely until Tottenham secured her services on transfer deadline day. Hip surgery for Spurs captain Bethany England a week earlier also played a part in manager Robert Vilahamn being desperate to bring in a new forward and it has paid off handsomely.
Thomas admitted: “It was very last minute and all happened pretty quickly. I had conversations with United over the summer figuring out what could be done and I just felt like nothing would get over the line.
“Obviously agents and clubs deal with it but yeah, at the last minute Spurs came in and reached an agreement. I was over the moon and got on a train straight away.
“Sometimes you have to take a leap and hope it works out. There is never a right or wrong answer.
“In this case, it felt like the right fit and the way the season has gone validates that a little bit.”
During two years as largely a bitpart player at United under Marc Skinner, Thomas only scored eight times, and she has already bettered that tally with her current employers.
Thomas has developed a habit for the big occasion with two winners at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
The first against Arsenal in December secured a maiden north London derby victory before her 118th-minute header against Leicester sent Vilahamn’s side through to a first FA Cup final.
She added: “It will be special. An FA Cup final is huge.”