Revealed: The cheeky way Lionesses legend Steph Houghton convinced Lauren Hemp to join her at Man City

Hemp broke through in the Women's Super League with Bristol City and marked herself out of one of England's most talented youngsters with her performances for the Robins, named PFA Women's Young Player of the Year in her final season there.

In one of her final games for the club, she came up against Man City, who dealt Bristol a 6-1 drubbing. However, despite that, then-England captain Houghton wanted to have a word with the 18-year-old Hemp about her future.

Speaking to the Telegraph about that moment, Hemp recalled: “She said, ‘Come to City, come to City’, and I went home and said, ‘Mum, Dad, Steph’s telling me to go to City, I’d better go to City! She was the first person that persuaded me to come to City. At that point I was starstruck and it meant a lot.

“Coming up north to Manchester, I was petrified but also very excited. It’s 100 percent been the best decision I’ve ever made. If I ever had a problem or needed help, she was always there. What an amazing person. It’s a career people only dream of. I’d love to go on and be half the player that she is.”

Hemp signed for Man City just a few weeks after that interaction with Houghton and has gone on to become a key player for the club in the six years since, winning two FA Cup and two Continental Cup titles in that time.

Houghton will retire at the end of this season and Hemp and her Man City team-mates will be keen to ensure she goes out on a high, with them in pole position to win the WSL title with three games to go.