Exclusive: Preston’s Madison Hadley on ‘dream’ chance of winning FA Cup Golden Boot | OneFootball

Preston North End’s Madison Hadley has a huge opportunity to win the Adobe Women’s FA Cup Golden Boot this season. Despite prolific strikers, including Bunny Shaw of Manchester City, and Chelsea’s Mayra Ramirez entering the competition, it is Hadley who currently sits top of the charts with 10 goals.

During this ‘crazy’ run, Tier 5 attacker Hadley helped lead Preston into their first-ever FA Cup first round tie, where they were knocked out by Bradford City. On their way to the first round, they beat Clitheroe Wolves 14-0, Maghull Youth 6-0, and Hartlepool Pools Youth 5-0. Hadley spoke with Her Football Hub about this potential achievement and Preston’s time in the FA Cup.

When asked about topping the goalscoring chart, Hadley said: “As the cup progresses, and we’re nearing the quarter-finals, I am thinking about it, and I’m getting more and more excited. It’s getting more real, and I could potentially win the Golden Boot.”

Hadley continued and expressed the importance of her family: “I wouldn’t even know what to do [if she won the award]. It would all be a blur, and it would mean a lot to me and my family. All the work and effort they have put in driving me to football, buying my football boots, and putting their time in.”

Madison Hadley could win the FA Cup Golden Boot

The growth of the women’s game has been astronomical following the England’s Euro 2022. Following their fairytale triumph, the Women’s Super League has seen record attendances. We are now seeing the same growth occur in the Women’s Championship, especially at sides like Newcastle United.

When asked about how this accolade could spur growth for the lower tiers, Hadley said: “Especially for us at Preston, it could attract more players and fans. At the start of the FA Cup, you wouldn’t think that a player from Tier 5 was going to win, so it could draw more attraction to the lower tiers. Making history and reaching the first round of the cup shows Tier 5 is a good standard of football, it’s very competitive.”

The attacker also spoke about how important this run was to help inspire the next generation.

“Hopefully we can attract the younger fans as well, because we do get a few young girls who come down and aspire to pay for Preston when they are older. It’s good to inspire the younger girls and get them involved and play football.”

Preston reaching first round shows ‘we can do it’

When reflecting on the FA Cup journey as a whole, Hadley acknowledged the impact the run had on the Preston team as a collective.

“It shows we can do it. We played a very good team in Bradford, and we had a very good game. Unfortunately we lost, but it is probably the best game we’ve played all season. And it just shows that in these other competitions, we can go on and win and get to the highest stage in the league.”

Despite an unfortunate 2-0 defeat against Bolton in the Lancashire FA Women’s Challenge Cup, Preston are looking to continue to push forward. Hadley notes that the team are “excited and well prepared” for the upcoming matches.

“We take one game at a time, play as we play, and as long as we put 100 percent in. No matter the result, we can be proud.”

Related articles from Her Football Hub: