Erika Rubio fulfilled in the 3-0 victory against CP Cacereño one of those dreams that are built when a player becomes part of an academy. The goalkeeper, who joined Levante UD Femenino at the age of eight, has gone through all the youth football categories of the club until making her debut with the first team last Sunday. 

Eleven seasons after her arrival at the club, hard work, effort, perseverance, and patience have found their reward. "The truth is that it’s an indescribable feeling, after so many years in the stands watching the first team come out, being there, the truth is that it was something I didn’t imagine and it was amazing." The victory and the clean sheet completed a debut that, for her, couldn’t have been better: "I think it’s every player’s dream to make their debut like that."

Defending the goal has a particularity that makes every opportunity require maximum self-confidence. Erika Rubio explained how she has experienced this process from her position between the posts: "Even though I spent years training with the first team or the reserve team, which was the same when I debuted, it’s complicated because the opportunity in the end doesn’t depend so much on you. It’s not a position where you can say, ‘I’ll come on in the last minutes to prove myself,’ but you have to trust yourself a lot."

And that confidence was reflected on the pitch. "I felt quite secure, both with the ball at my feet and with the ball in my hands," the goalkeeper assured, adding that "it’s also thanks to the team for the intensity they showed throughout the match, because without them it wouldn’t have been so easy." Her performance between the posts has allowed her to start her journey with the first team in the best possible way, while also highlighting the path she has taken since joining the club at just eight years old.