Shirley Cruz: "I'm hoping to contribute my experience"

Shirley, welcome home. what made you want TO START this second spell at Paris Saint-Germain?

"Angelo [Castellazzi], Sabrina [Delannoy] and Jocelyn [Prêcheur] trusted me to be a part of the Paris Saint-Germain project, and this is a great opportunity. I know all about Division 1 Arkema and spent a large part of my career in France, so I'm happy to come back to the club and to help it, and I also want to help Jocelyn achieve the aims that were set at the start of the season."

SINCE YOU LEFT THE CLUB, HAVE YOU KEPT FOLLOWING ITS WOMEN'S TEAM'S GAMES?

"Yes, I've watched a lot of games. France gave me a lot and taught me a lot, which is also why I've come back with the aim of repaying Paris and even Lyon what they gave to me, as those two clubs helped me to grow as an elite footballer. I've also watched a lot of UEFA Women's Champions League games. I can see that the women's team is gradually developing, with Sabrina and Angelo putting things in place, and I hope that I can also provide the younger players with as many tools as possible in order to help them reach the top."

WHEN YOU WERE STILL A PLAYER HERE, YOU GOT TO RUB SHOULDERS WITH SOME OF THE CURRENT SQUAD MEMBERS, LIKE GRACE GEYORO, MARIE-ANTOINETTE KATOTO AND SANDY BALTIMORE. DO YOU THINK THAT THAT'S AN ASSET?

"Yes, I did get to rub shoulders with them. They were young, and I was one of the older girls, so there was already a kind of respect between us. Now, they're the ones leading the team, and it's up to us to give the girls the tools to reach the top with both club and country."

CAN YOU TELL US MORE ABOUT YOUR ROLE AND WHAT YOU THINK YOU CAN CONTRIBUTE TO THE COACHING STAFF?

"I'll have an intermediary role, be it with the senior team or with the youth teams. I think that I can contribute my experience given everything I've been through, particularly in France. I'll give plenty, but I'll also learn from being with the coaching staff because I've come here to learn, too. Now, I need to get started on that so that the women's team can achieve its aims."

HAVE YOU BEEN ABLE TO TALK TO THE COACH OR ANY MEMBERS OF THE COACHING STAFF ABOUT YOU REJOINING THE CLUB yet?

"Yes, I've already had a long chat with Jocelyn. I first met him when I was in China and he was an assistant manager. I quite like his methods and his way of playing, and that's also why I made the decision to come and help him."

WHAT ARE YOU HOPING FOR FROM THIS SECOND STINT WITH PARIS?

"I'm hoping to be able to contribute my experience and to pass it onto the younger players. I also want to help the girls because Division 1 Arkema is a tough league to win, and I hope that we can win plenty of titles. This is a young team, so we'll need to adapt because football has changed. That's why I'm hoping to give the girls the tools to do their best."