Deanna Cooper earns women's Sela Player of the Month award for November | OneFootball

The experienced defender impressed at both ends of the pitch in a month which kicked off with a clean sheet against league leaders Birmingham City Women, but it was an unforgettable 99th-minute equaliser at the Gallowgate End against Southampton which grabbed the headlines.

Reflecting on a moment which now firmly sits among her career highlights, the two-time Women's Super League winner commented: "Relief - that was the main emotion!

"We worked so hard in the second half to try and get something out of the game. When the goal went in, you could see me on the floor throwing my hands in the air to say 'thank goodness for that'.

"It was a really great feeling to get a point from that game right at the end, and scoring at the Gallowgate was amazing. To score and have the fans react the way that they did was pretty special. There hasn't been many occasions when I’ve played in front of that many people, so it's definitely up there in my career highlights."

The 31-year-old has become a regular in the heart of defence since arriving from Reading Women, admitting that Sela Player of the Month recognition represents how quickly she has settled into life in the North East.

"I'm loving it here and it's the happiest I've been in football for a long time," she said. "That's down to my team-mates and the coaching staff for making me feel so welcome.

"It's been a good start in the league and I've been playing pretty well, so I'm happy about that. Obviously, we would have liked to get more points on the board last month: the Birmingham game was a good win, against Bristol City we could have been better as a team, but it was great to end with the goal against Southampton.

"As a team, we're very aligned on our ambitions for the rest of the season after a productive international break. Personally, I want to get as many points on the board as possible and keep enjoying my football."