CAROLINE WEIR has admitted that “the little five-year-old girl” inside her was enthralled by the chance to sign for Real Madrid.

Earlier this month, it was confirmed that the Dunfermline-born football star, who has been capped 88 times by Scotland, had put pen to paper to join the Spanish giants.

Having spent four years at Manchester City, whom she joined from Liverpool, the former Pittencrieff Primary and Dunfermline High pupil will become what is believed to be only the second Scot to wear one of the most famous shirts in world football.

John Fox Watson, who made one appearance for the men’s team during one season in Madrid in the late 1940s, is, to date, the only Scot to ever play for a Real first team, prior to Weir’s arrival with the women’s side.

Strong speculation had linked Caroline, whose first venture into football was with Elgin Star at Pitreavie playing fields as a youngster, with a move to Spain, where she will realise her dream of pulling on a Real shirt.

In a video posted online just before the deal was announced, Real posted a video recording of a young Caroline, playing football at home in Dunfermline, wearing the iconic white strip.

In an interview with her new club, the midfield ace said: “I feel very lucky to be in the position that I’m in now.

“I felt, firstly honoured, that a club of this stature wanted to sign me, and I just felt excited because Real Madrid was my first-ever team when I was a youngster.

“When I was five, the first-ever football kit I got was an all-white (Real) kit with (Zinedine) Zidane, number five on the back, so the little five-year-old girl inside of me was really excited.

“It’s obviously very hard to say no to Real Madrid, the biggest club in the world, so I’m so excited to be here. I can’t wait to play in this kit, play on this pitch, and hopefully help the team be successful.”

After joining Hibernian Ladies as part of their youth system, Caroline’s career then saw her move to Arsenal at the age of 18, with whom she won the women’s FA Cup in 2014.

After a short spell with Bristol Academy, she joined Liverpool in January 2016 before moving to City after two-and-a-half years on Merseyside.

She played 124 times for the Sky Blues – including matches against Real in the Champions League – and scored 38 goals, two of which, separate strikes against Manchester United, saw her shortlisted twice for the prestigious FIFA Puskás Award.

With City, she won two more FA Cup trophies, and two League Cup winners’ medals, and is eager to add to her collection in the Spanish capital.

“You can feel the history within the club and it’s an honour to be here signing for this great club,” she continued.

“There’s obviously a bit of pressure. Being at this club, seeing the history, being in a room full of Champions League trophies – it’s just what you want to be part of, and what we’re going to be working towards.

“It’s what I’m coming here to do, to go and compete for as many trophies as possible.”

On the international stage, Caroline has represented Scotland at Euro 2017 and the World Cup in 2019, scoring the goal that secured them their first-ever tournament win at the former, against Spain, in their maiden international tournament.

Last summer, she was also included in the women’s Team GB squad that competed at the Tokyo Olympic Games, reaching the quarter-finals.

Caroline, a big Pars fan, has received well wishes from the club, former club Hibernian and the Scotland national side, and one of her idols as a youngster has described her as “one of the best I’ve seen” in terms of technical ability.

Joe Cardle, now starring for Kelty Hearts, runs his own football academy in the city, and recently had Caroline join him for one-to-one coaching sessions before she wrapped up her move to Real.

“She’s a big Dunfermline fan, she grew up watching me,” he said.

“It’s amazing to think that Caroline Weir was a big Dunfermline fan, and I was her favourite player, her and her brother and sister’s favourite player. It’s an honour to have coached her.

“It’s amazing to think 10, 12 years ago, she was watching me back in the day at Dunfermline. It just shows how things turn round and how amazing life can be.”