'I want to show them how good I am' - Sara Doorsoun ready to cap season of firsts with World Cup glory

It has been a season of firsts for Wolfsburg’s Sara Doorsoun.

In her debut campaign with the German giants, she helped the club to their third consecutive league and cup double, and now the 27-year-old is looking forward to her first World Cup.

“Being in the squad... that’s my first step,” says the Cologne-born midfielder. “After that, [I want to] go as far as possible, give my best and show everybody how good I am.”

Proving her worth is something Doorsoun has been doing throughout her career, dating back to the very beginning with her male teammates at her first club, SV Wesseling.

“At first they were like: ‘Oh, a girl? What is she doing in our team? Girls cannot play football,” she reveals, relaying an all-too-familiar tale in women’s football. “But then they saw that I’m very fast and better than them. They were a little bit angry [to start with] but then we became friends.”

She's been earning friends and plaudits ever since.

Having represented Germany from Under-15 level up, she seemed destined to be selected for multiple major tournaments, but was made to wait for her senior debut.

“I was 23 when I got my first invitation for the national team,” she recalls. “Before, I was like, ‘When do I get the chance? Come on, come on. Just give me a chance!’”

It finally came in 2016 when she made her long-awaited debut in a 1-0 win over Hungary.

Now, with 24 caps to her name, Doorsoun played every minute of Germany’s World Cup qualifying campaign and is hoping to build on the domestic success she has enjoyed this season by lifting the trophy in France - 12 years after Germany’s last triumph, when they didn’t concede a single goal in China during their run to securing their second world title.

“I imagine being in the final and playing a good game,” she says. “Winning and celebrating together with my teammates - that would be cool.”

The versatile star has proved quite the team player. Adept at playing either in defence or in midfield, Doorsoun has most recently been lining up in defence at club level, alongside captain and Sweden international, Nilla Fischer.

“She’s one of the best defenders,” says Doorsoun, who’s looking forward to facing some of her Wolfsburg teammates in France. “I’m excited to see the other teams and face some good opponents. Caroline Hansen, too, she’s so good.”

Doorsoun and Germany are in Group B alongside Spain, South Africa and China, against whom they kick-off their campaign in Rennes on Saturday 8 June.

Sara Doorsoun was speaking at Nike's Women's World Cup event in Paris.