Jayde Riviere: I love Man Utd...even the rain has Manchester charm

Jayde Riviere is an Under Armour athlete

Jayde Riviere was an Olympic gold medalist while still at college and made the move to Manchester United at the start of this year. Now, she is one of the brightest new talents in the WSL, poised to become their first choice right-back when the 2023/24 campaign takes off.

A few months after their Olympic triumph, Canada had been in England for the inaugural Arnold Clark Cup, where Riviere was tasked with marking Lionesses winger Lauren Hemp in the opening round of games. The usually electric Manchester City didn't get much change out of her young opponent and it was a performance that caught the eye of Manchester United and Marc Skinner.

Just under a year later and out of college after four years at the University of Michigan, Riviere completed a dream move to United, signing the first professional contract of her career in the process. She has had five months to bed in - and recapture her fitness after arriving during the recovery process of a long-term injury - and is already feeling at home.

"It's been awesome. I really like Manchester," the 22-year-old tells 90min in an exclusive interview. "I'd say the only downfall is the weather; absolutely hate rain, but I think it comes with the Manchester charm; you've got to have some rain in Manchester to live there, but I really love the club."

United broke new ground in the WSL in 2022/23, achieving their highest ever finish to secure Champions League football for the first time, as well as reaching the FA Cup final in a first trip to Wembley. Once fit, Riviere made her debut in a 3-0 win over Tottenham at Leigh Sports Village.

Despite being new to the professional club game, Riviere is not without significant experience. She made her senior Canada debut at the age of just 16 while still in high school in Markham, Ontario, and had been to the World Cup in 2019 two years prior to winning Olympic gold. But making the switch to the WSL and a club of United's global stature has been a big change.

"I really like how it's like a football-specific country, so everywhere you go, you know, there are football fans, and they really rep their team that they're supporting," she explains.

"It's really cool to know that everyone is kind of rallying around women's soccer and it's growing exponentially in the UK as well."

As a lifelong Manchester United fan, something she inherited from her father, the move was a dream come true. Visiting Wembley for the first time at the FA Cup final was also something she could tick off her bucket list, the triumphant Euros summer still lingering in the atmosphere too.

"Being in the FA Cup final with United, you're playing at Wembley and it's sold out, so it's amazing to know that's the kind of supporters that you have in the UK supporting clubs.

"You can just see, you go to stadiums, and they're sold out just of fans that are just supporting their team. It's really cool to see, But it's awesome to be a part of that. Aside from the [English] accent, I'd say that's the biggest thing."

Even as a native English speaker hailing from North America, Riviere admits the nuances of British English compared to Canadian English are something she has to get used to.

"You guys say 'innit' a lot, and I'm trying to figure out when to use it," the 22-year-old laughs, reflecting on the use of local slang by her United teammates. With a big smile, she adds, "You say gaffer? That's another one. And you call a garbage, like a bin.

"I'm picking up on a couple of things. I don't know when to use the words, but I have the vocab a little bit," she continued. "I have noticed there's different accents, which I didn't at first, but I can't differentiate a lot [of them]. I can only differentiate Liverpool."

The 2023/24 season has the potential to be a big one for Riviere following recent confirmation that Ona Batlle, one of the first names on the teamsheet for the last three seasons, is joining Barcelona and leaving a vacant spot at right-back that needs filling.

It will be a challenge, but one that she is ready to take on as she gets to grips with being full-time.

"I think the first thing I noticed is it's very professional in terms of how you're treated and then how the girls go about training...it's football specific," Riviere explains.

"Obviously, I didn't have another club to kind of compare this to because I came straight from university. So the only thing I can do is compare from university, and I know that it's very different aside from the fact that you're also doing your studies while playing soccer."

Before moving to Manchester, Riviere spent time with AFC Ann Arbor, an amateur USL W League team, alongside her college career. She had rejected offers to play professionally before heading to Michigan, opting to focus on her education, having received 28 scholarship offers to various colleges and verbally committing as early as the age of 14 to the Michigan Wolverines.

"The speed of play is very different," she says. "I think that was a huge factor in physicality but also just knowing that you're playing really, really strong teams, so every team that you're playing, there's a chance that there might be a battle that you're not used to playing against. Every team is very good so it's really crucial to know that you're getting the best out of your training in order to maximise your performance when it comes to those teams."

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Off the pitch, one thing close to Riviere's heart is giving back to the community, something her new partnership with Under Armour has fully supported since being announced as a UA athlete this year.

"I think when I was looking for a brand, I wanted a brand that would kind of encapsulate me and what I stand for. When it came to Under Armor was a no-brainer in terms of that," the player explains.

"They are a unique brand, I'd say, that differentiates themselves from other brands, and they've full circle supported me in what I want to do on the pitch, obviously, but most importantly and uniquely off the pitch as well," she said with beaming smile speaking about the opportunities to build her legacy that Under Armour have provided for her.

"Certain things I like to do, charity work, giving back to clubs where I started, grassroots level, they make sure that I'm able to leave marks everywhere that I go. So it was a no-brainer when I signed with Under Armour."