Clare Wheeler has said she is targeting a ‘poetic’ first goal for Everton with one the Merseyside derby at the top of her wish list.

Ahead of the new season where Everton will look to close the gap on the Barclays Women’s Super League (WSL)’s leading clubs, Clare Wheeler spoke exclusively to The Halfway Line about what it will take to compete at the top.

Everton need to ‘keep up with the growth’ of the women’s game insists Wheeler

Everton have finished eighth in the WSL table in the last three seasons. The highest they have finished since the start of the current WSL format in 2017 – 2018, is fifth, in the 2020 – 2021 season. Wheeler is clear: investment is key to competing at the top of the table,

“I think at the moment numbers speak volumes” Wheeler noted. “Obviously, the investment at the top of the table, especially this off season, we’ve seen a lot of money going to women’s football, which is great, and it’s really good for the game.

“It’s important now, I guess, to push the other teams like ourselves to keep going in order to keep up with the growth of the game.”

Wheeler delights in new signing McNamara’s ‘pace’

The Toffees have reinforced their attack by signing Wheeler’s compatriot Holly McNamara, among others. The Halfway Line asked Wheeler what she brings to the team,

“She’s so fast and I always hate when I have to play against her in training” the Australian midfielder laughed. “It’s really good to have that attacking outlet, especially her pace!”

Wheeler goes on to describe how she has supported McNamara as she adjusts to her new life in England.

“Obviously, it’s a really big adjustment for anyone to move that far and be away from your family and your friends” Wheeler reflected. “But [I] definitely try to help with the coffee recommendations and just with life and trying to translate sometimes a bit of the slang that gets used up here in the north.”

Clare Wheeler hails ‘competitive’ Kramžar

Another player Wheeler thinks can make a big impact in the forward line is Zara Kramžar, who arrived from Italian side Como in January,

“She’s really competitive” lauded Wheeler. “I’m really excited to see her get a full season with us this year. Her finishing and her creativity is a really big outlet for us, so I’m really excited for her and to see what she can achieve”.

Everton have also signed Noémie Mouchon from freshly relegated Leicester City. Wheeler is eager to see more from Mouchon, citing her hold up play and her finishing as things to look out for.

Wheeler ‘excited’ for the new season with Scott Phelan

Danish head coach Brian Sørensen left the club in February after a series of disappointing results. That paved the way for Scott Phelan to take charge as interim head coach after his exit. Everton confirmed in June that Phelan will stay on in that capacity on a permanent basis. The clarity around the managerial role has settled some anxiousness in the squad, according to Wheeler,

“Obviously, players want to know what this next season is going to look like” said Wheeler. “[Knowing] What’s the direction [is important] and having that understanding of who the coach is really helps answer those questions.

“So it’s really good to get that confirmation that Scott was staying on board with us and I’m excited to see how the season goes ahead.”

New Subway Players Cup format will push teams to ‘rotate’ says Wheeler

The WSL will expand from twelve to fourteen teams this upcoming season. Meanwhile, the Subway League Cup has been rebranded into the Subway Players Cup. WSL Football, owners of the Players Cup, have held consultations with clubs, players and fans about the future of the competition.

The new Subway Players Cup format puts player welfare at its heart, aiming to ease fixture congestion by excluding clubs competing in the UEFA Women’s Champions League. At the same time, it should offer other squads more meaningful minutes, greater opportunities for rotation and player development.

Wheeler thinks positively of the new formats, “Ultimately it’s going to push teams to rotate their squads” Wheeler said. “[They will] look at how they utilise players across the league because it is, you know, obviously going to be more intense and the load is going to be higher on players.

“But I think that’s another element of the game and we need to reduce the gap between how many minutes some of the players are playing in those top clubs, and how many minutes people playing at other clubs play. I think ensuring, maximum minutes for everyone is the best in the long run.”

Clare Wheeler wants young stars to ‘express themselves’

With Everton’s squad’s average age at 25.5 years last season, Wheeler is an experienced player at 28 years old. Does the younger contingent look to Wheeler for advice?

“I think that just comes to the nature of being one of the more experienced ones in the team” Wheeler answers.

“I just try to make sure everyone’s comfortable and feels like they can be there themselves in that way and, you know, ask those questions.

“I do my best to try and help, you know, everyone express themselves, basically, because I feel like if you can express yourself, you’re going to be more confident on the pitch.”

Wheeler acknowledges the competitive nature of the game but says players should focus on doing their best without letting the pressure of the moment dictate their performance. She also emphasises the importance of remembering that having fun is ultimately why they play.

Clare Wheeler in search of ‘poetic’ first Everton goal

Asked if there is anything she is currently working on improving in her game, Wheeler is quick to say that she would like to score more goals. While she has scored three goals in 42 appearances for the Matildas, she has not yet found the back of the net for the Toffees outside of the World Sevens.

Just after, Wheeler tells The Halfway Line that she is most looking forward to the Merseyside derby. She suggests that she might be able to score that first goal in the fixture between Everton and Liverpool, “That would be great. Yeah, that would be poetic” Wheeler smiled. “I’ll ring you up and be like, look, we did it!”

Everton open their WSL season against Crystal Palace on September 6th at 14:00 BST. The game will be played at the VSB Community Stadium and will be shown live on Sky Sports.