It’s already been a special week for Barrow’s Georgia Stanway, who is preparing for one of the biggest matches of her career so far, this Saturday’s Women’s FA Cup final.

When the 20-year-old steps out on the pitch for Manchester City against West Ham United at Wembley Stadium, it will be her first game since being named PFA Women’s Young Player of the Year last Sunday.

Stanway has already played at the home of English football once before (she was a substitute for City in the final against Birmingham two years ago), but now she’ll be doing so as one of her club’s key players.

It has been a breakthrough year for the striker, who has scored 13 goals for City, while she has also made her senior England debut and could be about to earn a place in the Lionesses’ squad for this summer’s Women’s World Cup.

She is now looking to cap it off by helping Nick Cushing’s side to their second trophy of the season, with the League Cup already in the cabinet.

Stanway said: “It’s the icing on the cake. To be able to walk out at Wembley is a dream come true and obviously to do it with the club that I love and players I’ve spent every day with the past few years would be unbelievable.

“I know I’ll definitely look up to the stands and my family will be there and it will be a special day.

“I think the day itself - it being at Wembley, it’s an FA Cup final, there’s no bigger occasion.”

While City have become used to success in recent years, the final is West Ham’s first in their history, in what is their first-ever season in the FA Women’s Super League

“We’ve had some good results against them this year in the league,” Stanway said, adding: “But a cup competition, and a cup final, is completely different.

“You actually never know what the opposition is going to bring and obviously everybody gets very revved up and enthusiastic for a final, so the result could go either way.”

It’s just starting to sink in for Stanway that she is regarded as the best young player in the country by her peers, while she is very grateful for the support she’s been getting from her hometown in the last few days.

Stanway said: “Sometimes you get caught in the bubble of not knowing what’s happening on the outside when you’re in every day.

“But it’s unbelievable to see the support that I’ve had back at home – everybody has been saying how well I’ve been doing and obviously congratulating me on the award.

“It’s just a massive thing for the community to see, as well, that young boys and girls can progress and go on to something special.”