Man United task clear as next England 'superstar' pens emotional Tottenham goodbye

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

As Manchester United set to work dismantling Tottenham Hotspur in the Women's FA Cup final, there was one player inside Wembley Stadium whose loyalties were split.

Grace Clinton, who joined United from Everton in 2022, had spent the season on loan at Spurs and was therefore ineligible to feature against her parent club.

Her absence was a huge blow for Robert Vilahamn's side, who ultimately fell to a 4-0 defeat in north-west London as the Reds romped to their first major piece of silverware.

Clinton had been a revelation during her season-long stint at Brisbane Road, completing a clean sweep of Tottenham's Player of the Season awards and breaking into the senior Lionesses squad. "She will be the next superstar in this country if you ask me," Vilahamn said after the midfielder's impressive start to life on loan. "I think she's brilliant and has the potential to be so good." READ MORE: Dan Ashworth makes reassuring Manchester United promise after Sir Jim Ratcliffe controversy READ MORE: Man United make Old Trafford decision as plan for Man City showdown revealed Clinton form was so good, in fact, that Tottenham were keen to make her stay in the capital permanent. “She cannot stay because she’s not a part of us next year," Vilahamn told The Athletic in April. "But if you ask me if I want to buy her, there would be a high potential I want to do that." The 21-year-old - who also excelled on loan at Championship side Bristol City in 2022/23 - seemed to relish her time at Spurs, forging a close friendship with teammate Celin Bizet and flourishing under the watchful eye of Vilahamn. “Confidence for me comes from the manager, and both Robert and (England boss) Sarina (Wiegman) have given me so much of that this season,”