Man Utd forward Rachel Williams plans to return to plastering after football

Rachel Williams (third from right) came off the bench to score the winner against Reading in the WSL

It was very different when Rachel Williams first started playing football in the women's top flight almost 15 years ago - but some things never change.

The forward was a plasterer back then and she still considers that to be her trade now, although these days she spends much more time on a football pitch.

This weekend her Manchester United team will take to one of the biggest stages of all - Old Trafford - for their Women's Super League match against West Ham.

But Williams, 35, hasn't forgotten where she came from.

"A lot of people ask me 'what will you do when you finish football?' I will go back into plastering because I just love it," she says.

"Anything DIY, hands-on, labour and hard graft. It comes from my dad and my family. We have worked hard throughout my career to achieve something.

"Even now when we have time off I'm at home doing jobs. I've got the garden to do and I've got my brother around moving slabs and doing tip runs. I just love it."

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'Football still isn't my job'

Williams has had a long and successful football career, spending 12 years competing in the WSL and winning the FA Cup during her time at Birmingham City in 2012.

At the start of her career she only trained twice a week in the evenings and made a living off her plastering job.

"In the early days of the WSL, [the plastering job] gave me that switch-off and knowing that's the real world," adds Williams.

"I was living my dream but I thought [football] was never something I could live off. Now it is. It has grounded me and this still isn't my job.

"When I come to training every day, it's not my job. My job is plastering and that's on hold. Having to balance the two was really hard but it's made me enjoy the football side of things more."

Williams has not made any WSL starts since joining United from Tottenham, but she has made an impact off the bench, including an 87th-minute winner against Reading in January.

"It's important for me to stay real to where I'm at, where I've come from and to appreciate where the women's game is now," she says.

"I still don't feel the pressure or want others to feel that. Everyone says I bring this experience, but I still feel like I'm 15 playing in the park.

"If people look to me or ask me for advice then of course I'm there, but I just want to lead by example. I think I'm the oldest in the squad now but you wouldn't know that."

'Champions League would be massive'

Rachel Williams (right) won the FA Cup with Birmingham City and played in the Champions League

United have never won the WSL title but they currently sit second in the table, two points behind defending champions Chelsea, having played a game more than the leaders.

But Williams, who experienced title challenges with Birmingham, said they are only focusing on themselves.

"I've never table-watched," she admits. "You can only control what's in your hands. Get your job done, that's ticked off. Everything else you can't control, you can just hope."

As well as the title up for grabs, United are seeking to qualify for the Champions League for the first time.

Williams competed in the Champions League at Birmingham, but the competition has grown significantly in recent years.

"It would be massive. It is one of the aims a lot of people want to get this year. It's not a guarantee - it's in our control and we want to get there," says Williams.

"It will be so much more heightened than it was back then. When I was in it with Birmingham I didn't really understand it and it was just another game."

'Don't get left behind'

Williams worked with manager Marc Skinner during her time at Birmingham and said he has given United a belief they can achieve success this season.

"He stands up there and I believe in what he says and what we're capable of achieving," she adds. "When you get a manager that makes you feel unstoppable, it's a good place to be in."

United's younger stars - including England's Alessia Russo and Ella Toone - are experiencing a WSL title race for the first time.

Williams believes her experience of being near the top was "totally different" because there is more scrutiny in the game now.

"It blows my mind knowing what they're doing now," she adds. "What advice can I tell them about pressure and enjoying it? They have just won the Euros!

"I was speaking to my friend's kid the other day who is in the Leicester academy. I said it's hard work and don't ever feel like someone will hand you it. You have to keep on your toes.

"If someone says you won't make it, make sure you do. I was told that 'women's football will go nowhere, there's no point playing football, concentrate on your education', but I was like 'no, because if it does, I want to be ready'."

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