Pressure is a vital ingredient to success for Linda Motlhalo. The Glasgow City midfielder plans to harness that feeling during the run to the end of the season, starting with our visit to Celtic this Friday night.
The South African international - who returned to the Original Trailblazers for her second spell back in January - does not shy away from an occasion with high stakes.
And it is a mindset that will come in especially helpful in our nine remaining SWPL games, as we find ourselves battling for the league title with four other contenders.
In Celtic, we meet one such title rival. The two sides clash for the fifth time this season on Friday evening at New Douglas Park, having battled in both domestic cup competitions this term as well as the league, and only three points separate the sides who currently occupy third and fourth place.
Not only would a win give us the upper hand over Elena Sadiku’s side – who are the reigning league champions, but it would also move City closer or potentially, other results depending, to the SWPL’s summit, where we sit three points adrift from.
There is no denying that every point gained or lost at this stage of the season will have a big say on who will lift the trophy in less than two months' time. This is something Motlhalo embraces.
“Pressure is a privilege,” the midfielder says with an air of calm. “Having pressure, for me, is something I look forward to.
“Pressure is what makes the games interesting. It is what makes players improve. So, it’s something I always take as a positive.
“It’s fun to play against the tough teams like Celtic. Who wouldn’t want to play in such games?
"It is your mentality that makes the difference. We know that the league is not easy, but we know as players that we are capable of doing anything and we are capable of winning."
Capitalising on such pressure, Motlhalo tells us, begins on the training pitch. A team can only reap their rewards if the hard work has been put in before the whistle is blown on matchday.
“It starts at training; putting in the work at training, so when you get to the game you are ready,” she adds. “We must focus on the work we have been putting in throughout the week. That’s when we can get our reward.”
If City are to enjoy the fruits of their labour after a week of exertions, it will hopefully arrive on Friday night when we travel to face Celtic.
In Hamilton, Leanne Ross and her side will be looking to right the wrongs of our first encounter of the SWPL split which ended in a narrow 1-0 defeat to Hibernian at Petershill Park.
And to put things right, Motlhalo tells us, has ignited a fire in the squad who have their eyes on an important three points.
“We feel confident,” the midfielder says. “Coming into the game after the 1-0 loss last time out, we are hungry. We were frustrated with the result, and we will take that frustration out on Celtic.”
This will be the fifth encounter across all competitions between the two sides this season. They have been close battles thus far, with our opponents just edging the head-to-head record with two wins, compared to City’s one.
Our last meeting was a thrilling 2-2 draw at Petershill Park which played out in front of 983 fans – a domestic home record for the Original Trailblazers.
“It’s going to be the small margins,” Motlhalo says on facing Celtic later this week. “At the end of the day, it will be who wants it more. We have been putting in the work and it is going to show.
“I thrive on that. I believe in myself. Sometimes, things don’t always go to plan but it’s about knowing that you can make that one impact that changes everything.
“You have got to keep going. We all must keep believing in each other and that we can all make the team great.”
And Motlhalo has a valuable memory she can lean on when it comes to belief. In her first spell at the club, she experienced a title race that went down to the wire and involved three teams.
It was her who bagged the assist on that fateful day at Ibrox against Rangers when Lauren Davidson's 92nd-minute winner secured City a 16th SWPL title.
"It will always be a beautiful reminder for me and for this team," Motlhalo reminisces.
"It is a motivation that we have done it before so we can definitely do it again. But, we don’t take anything or any teams for granted. It’s just pure motivation that we can do it again."
Linda and the squad travel to New Douglas Park to face Celtic this Friday night with kick off at 7:35pm. Support us on the road here.