The Rangers manager praised her team’s ruthless response against Hamilton but urged her international stars to embrace the experience and ‘live in the moment’.
Rangers Women’s manager Leanne Crichton watched her side return to winning form in emphatic fashion, as they defeated bottom-placed Hamilton 11-0 at Ibrox last Sunday afternoon in their final match before the international break.
The dominant win came on the back of consecutive defeats to league title rivals Glasgow City and champions Hibernian, and Crichton praised her players’ response, hailing their “ruthless” approach and “professionalism” throughout the contest.
With several members of the squad now heading off for international duty, Crichton, capped 72 times for Scotland during her playing career, used the victory as a platform to pass on personal advice to her players, particularly the younger members of the squad stepping into national team environments.
She said: “Go and enjoy it and know that you can be competitive.
“You want to thrive and pulling on the jersey for your national team should be one of the proudest moments in your career.”
Crichton also reflected on her own international experience, acknowledging some regrets over not being present enough during key moments in her international career.
She said: “When I look back now, there were too many moments that I allowed to pass me by.
“I didn’t live in the moment enough in as much as I want my players to strive to go and play and perform.
“But ultimately, they should be enjoying it.”
Welsh Midfielder Alice Griffiths, who scored her first professional goal during the victory, echoed the theme of building confidence going into the break, saying the performance: “gives us something to build off going into other games”.
Despite the manner of the win, Crichton admitted the timing of the break was slightly frustrating as Rangers had just regained momentum.
“I wish the Hearts game was next week and not in a couple of weeks’ time,” she said.
“It’s hard to find consistency with the international break.
“I’d love for us just to keep plodding on from here and looking to try and drive. But we’ll just need to bide our time and be patient.”
With confidence restored and valuable international experiences on the horizon, Crichton will hope her players return ready to carry that mindset, and the foundations of momentum, into the next phase of the season.