Manchester City: Eat & Yap – Alex Scott catches up with Kerstin Casparij to discuss the dressing room and her life outside of football

Alex: Okay, talk to me, what’s on the menu.

Kirsten: Well, you’re going to see a big pot of oil, which I know doesn’t look very pretty, but I was able to whip up some butter and this is for a snack called olebolene.

Alex: So this is part of the house?

Kirsten: It’s very Dutch and we only have it around New Year’s. You can get the package only on New Year’s as well. Don’t actually look at the calories, which is why we don’t eat them all year round!

Alex: Some recipes used currants and raisins for this purpose…

Kirsten: I don’t like raisins!

Alex: We’re on the same wavelength there! I’ll warn you, I’m not good at hiding things if I don’t like them.

Kirsten: Alex, I’m Dutch. Do I look like the type to hide it?

Alex: Talk to me a little more about life at home because you grew up in a remote part of the Netherlands?

Kirsten: So I’m a northern girl. I’m from a province called Friesland and I’m very lucky to have grown up in a small town where there are a lot of sports. The game was a two minute walk from where I lived, which was perfect.

Alex: I feel like it was always a given that you would go on and become an athlete next?

Kirsten: Well, my parents met them while they were playing for the Dutch national team and they were both practicing judo, so there was no other choice for us but to take up the sport.

Alex: How did people describe you in your home country at that time?

Kirsten: People have often described me as loud and very talkative – I’m angry with ADHD. I’ve calmed down a bit now but when I was a kid I used to walk around the store. It was a good thing, growing up wanting to be an athlete, because I was so focused on soccer.

Alex: Sometimes it’s hard to move around, so how did you do it?

Kirsten: At the time I was really struggling to stay in school, prepare for exams, and also do all my soccer. Once I was diagnosed, I was talking to psychiatrists and my parents were very supportive. It takes time and I still have a lot to learn about myself.