Insight

Upping the tempo

We speak to Alex Greenwood and Steph Houghton to find out who’s on the (figurative) decks in Manchester City Women’s changing room

WORDS Dan Poole | PHOTOGRAPHY Patrick Elmont
Issue 07

MANCHESTER CITY WFC HAVE BEEN PUSHING into the latter stages of the Women’s Champions League again this season and it’s 27-year-old left-back Alex Greenwood who’s providing the soundtrack. The former Everton, Liverpool and Manchester United player, who won the Champions League with Lyon last season, signed for Manchester City at the beginning of this one.

Given she hasn’t been at the club that long, it’s impressive that she has established herself as dressing-room DJ quite so soon. But is she in tune with her team-mates? “At first I used to ask for songs but then I changed it, because some of the requests were terrible,” she says. “So now I try and please everyone, because everyone’s completely different. You’ve got Ellen [White], who loves the Spice Girls – still – and then you’ve got the other end of the spectrum. Like Justin Beiber.”

MANCHESTER CITY WFC HAVE BEEN PUSHING into the latter stages of the Women’s Champions League again this season and it’s 27-year-old left-back Alex Greenwood who’s providing the soundtrack. The former Everton, Liverpool and Manchester United player, who won the Champions League with Lyon last season, signed for Manchester City at the beginning of this one.

Given she hasn’t been at the club that long, it’s impressive that she has established herself as dressing-room DJ quite so soon. But is she in tune with her team-mates? “At first I used to ask for songs but then I changed it, because some of the requests were terrible,” she says. “So now I try and please everyone, because everyone’s completely different. You’ve got Ellen [White], who loves the Spice Girls – still – and then you’ve got the other end of the spectrum. Like Justin Beiber.”

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Those eclectic efforts are acknowledged by a player who has been part of the Manchester City set-up for a significantly longer period of time: seven years to Greenwood’s seven months. “To be fair Alex is doing a good job, so I’ll give her that,” says Steph Houghton, the centre-back who has more than 120 England caps. “I think the likes of Keira [Walsh] and Georgia [Stanway] probably influence her a little on selection, whereas it’s not really my taste in music. They always take the mick about the fact that I probably don't know any of the songs that are on in the changing room.”

“AT FIRST I USED TO ASK FOR SONGS BUT THEN I CHANGED IT, BECAUSE SOME OF THE REQUESTS WERE TERRIBLE. SO NOW I TRY AND PLEASE EVERYONE”


And does Greenwood have a go-to artist when she needs to pull out a banger? “We do have such a variety, but Drake always goes down well.” Though whether that does the job for Houghton is another matter. “I’ve got a few favourites. Probably James Bay, for one. The Script. And Gary Barlow from Take That. I’m showing my age now, aren’t I?”

MANCHESTER CITY WFC HAVE BEEN PUSHING into the latter stages of the Women’s Champions League again this season and it’s 27-year-old left-back Alex Greenwood who’s providing the soundtrack. The former Everton, Liverpool and Manchester United player, who won the Champions League with Lyon last season, signed for Manchester City at the beginning of this one.

Given she hasn’t been at the club that long, it’s impressive that she has established herself as dressing-room DJ quite so soon. But is she in tune with her team-mates? “At first I used to ask for songs but then I changed it, because some of the requests were terrible,” she says. “So now I try and please everyone, because everyone’s completely different. You’ve got Ellen [White], who loves the Spice Girls – still – and then you’ve got the other end of the spectrum. Like Justin Beiber.”

Insight

Upping the tempo

We speak to Alex Greenwood and Steph Houghton to find out who’s on the (figurative) decks in Manchester City Women’s changing room

WORDS Dan Poole | PHOTOGRAPHY Patrick Elmont

Text Link

MANCHESTER CITY WFC HAVE BEEN PUSHING into the latter stages of the Women’s Champions League again this season and it’s 27-year-old left-back Alex Greenwood who’s providing the soundtrack. The former Everton, Liverpool and Manchester United player, who won the Champions League with Lyon last season, signed for Manchester City at the beginning of this one.

Given she hasn’t been at the club that long, it’s impressive that she has established herself as dressing-room DJ quite so soon. But is she in tune with her team-mates? “At first I used to ask for songs but then I changed it, because some of the requests were terrible,” she says. “So now I try and please everyone, because everyone’s completely different. You’ve got Ellen [White], who loves the Spice Girls – still – and then you’ve got the other end of the spectrum. Like Justin Beiber.”

MANCHESTER CITY WFC HAVE BEEN PUSHING into the latter stages of the Women’s Champions League again this season and it’s 27-year-old left-back Alex Greenwood who’s providing the soundtrack. The former Everton, Liverpool and Manchester United player, who won the Champions League with Lyon last season, signed for Manchester City at the beginning of this one.

Given she hasn’t been at the club that long, it’s impressive that she has established herself as dressing-room DJ quite so soon. But is she in tune with her team-mates? “At first I used to ask for songs but then I changed it, because some of the requests were terrible,” she says. “So now I try and please everyone, because everyone’s completely different. You’ve got Ellen [White], who loves the Spice Girls – still – and then you’ve got the other end of the spectrum. Like Justin Beiber.”

Read the full story
Sign up now to get access to this and every premium feature on Champions Journal. You will also get access to member-only competitions and offers. And you get all of that completely free!

Those eclectic efforts are acknowledged by a player who has been part of the Manchester City set-up for a significantly longer period of time: seven years to Greenwood’s seven months. “To be fair Alex is doing a good job, so I’ll give her that,” says Steph Houghton, the centre-back who has more than 120 England caps. “I think the likes of Keira [Walsh] and Georgia [Stanway] probably influence her a little on selection, whereas it’s not really my taste in music. They always take the mick about the fact that I probably don't know any of the songs that are on in the changing room.”

“AT FIRST I USED TO ASK FOR SONGS BUT THEN I CHANGED IT, BECAUSE SOME OF THE REQUESTS WERE TERRIBLE. SO NOW I TRY AND PLEASE EVERYONE”


And does Greenwood have a go-to artist when she needs to pull out a banger? “We do have such a variety, but Drake always goes down well.” Though whether that does the job for Houghton is another matter. “I’ve got a few favourites. Probably James Bay, for one. The Script. And Gary Barlow from Take That. I’m showing my age now, aren’t I?”

MANCHESTER CITY WFC HAVE BEEN PUSHING into the latter stages of the Women’s Champions League again this season and it’s 27-year-old left-back Alex Greenwood who’s providing the soundtrack. The former Everton, Liverpool and Manchester United player, who won the Champions League with Lyon last season, signed for Manchester City at the beginning of this one.

Given she hasn’t been at the club that long, it’s impressive that she has established herself as dressing-room DJ quite so soon. But is she in tune with her team-mates? “At first I used to ask for songs but then I changed it, because some of the requests were terrible,” she says. “So now I try and please everyone, because everyone’s completely different. You’ve got Ellen [White], who loves the Spice Girls – still – and then you’ve got the other end of the spectrum. Like Justin Beiber.”

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