MY LIFE IN THE WORLD AROUNDFREESTYLE WITH LIV COOKE Age  Job Pro Freestyle Footballer Team Manchester United Would most like to freestyle with

My earliest football memory is playing out in the street with my older brothers, Sam and Jack, and our friends. I always had a football at my feet.

A world champion by We had season tickets at Manchester United. The best game I’ve been to the age of , pro as a fan was the  Champions football freestyler Liv League final between Man Utd and Cooke spends her life Barcelona. It was my first time at Wembley and I loved it. a ball “round the world”. With hard work, I got more into doing tricks when I had a back injury. It was when I was ‚ and she says you can too with Blackburn Rovers. I hated being unable to play, so I practised my , control and juggling in the garden. I started posting videos on Instagram, got good comments and thrived off it.

I started to do shows before I started to compete. My first show was at a local primary school and my legs felt like jelly. My routine was a mess but the kids were lovely. Then Blackburn invited me to do routines at a match. The crowd was ,, it was February, it was freezing, the pitch was muddy and I was terrified!

Liv started freestyling Liv uses when she her head at was  ! Super Ball! 12

k4_My_life_LivCooke_1.2b.indd 12 18/07/2018 19:48 AROUND THE WORLD FREESTYLE WITH Juggling the ball takes serious concentration! Smile LIV everyone!

COOKE Man Utd v Barça Liv’s freestyling at Wembley: Liv’s takes her all over favourite game the world!

Some famous players have skills. Chelsea’s Fran Kirby is really good, she’s got nice control, Gemma Davison too As I walked out they stuck a mic and and Lyon’s Ada Hegerberg can pull out camera in front of me. “You support multiple round the worlds! Blackburn don’t you?” they asked and I said: “No, I support Man United.” The set of tricks , times. There could I achieved my dream of being world whole stadium was booing! The show be bad music, a slanted stage or even a champion last year and so I was a bit went well though, I felt amazing. different ball – a lot of people drop out lost afterwards, wondering: “What’s of a competition if they change the ball next?” I’ve already proved that I’m the I don’t think talent comes into – but I’m so well prepared I don’t care. best freestyler in the world, so now I freestyling. When I was ‘, I was only want to be the best ever. the fourth person on my team who The best thing I’ve done in my Super Ball – the world open mastered a “round the world”. How good career is work with UEFA on their Freestyle Football championships – is you are at tricks depends on how much #WePlayStrong #PlayAnywhere in Prague in the Czech Republic this work you put in. In football you can train campaigns. We went to ‘ locations in August. There’s no prize money, so it’s your hardest, be the best but your team six countries, so I got to see different a pure competition with thousands still might not win. That frustrates me. football cultures. We went to the entering. When I started out there I’m only the best in the world because I highest in Europe, at the weren’t that many girls at world-class work the hardest. If I can do it, you can. top of the Swiss Alps, and to Eriskay, level. Now there are lots a remote Scottish island. In Norway of girls popping up. So this To start with, I learned from YouTube I climbed on top of a fishing boat in a year it will be interesting! tutorials. Watch videos of freestylers, fjord. It was swaying, I copy their movements and when you could hardly stand up can do it, put your own emphasis on but after a few minutes, it. Then put tricks together to make I was doing tricks. combinations. Remember: use both feet! I’ve been asked loads When I walk out on stage in a of times to freestyle competition I’m confident. I’ll have in high heels but you Can Gareth trained for six months and done that wouldn’t ask a plumber Bale do this to come along in a dress, would you? I always say one? Chilling at no, not for any amount Wembley with of money. I want to show world No ­ the world that girls can be freestyler Caitlyn as skilful as the guys and Schrepfer that women’s has a lot of potential.

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k4_My_life_LivCooke_1.2b.indd 13 18/07/2018 19:48