The calls from the boss can start as early as 2am. By 6am there is little time to think about sleep. 

There is a professional blow-dry appointment to make, layers of impeccable make-up to apply and a designer outfit to choose – because in Donald Trump‘s White House, looking the part is almost as important as doing the job.

As one woman who worked inside the Trump orbit described it, the desired aesthetic had to be no less than ‘Maga perfect’.

Those glossy smiles and immaculate clothes are, of course, what the outside world sees when the parade of highly intelligent women who work for the Trump administration appear on television alongside the President at Maga rallies and press conferences.

But in a White House plagued by accusations of misogyny and sexual misconduct by its commander-in-chief, the reality for those working there is rather different. 

Limited pay for demanding, 24/7 roles. No time to raise a family. And, of course, an implicit requirement to spend considerable amounts of their time and hard-earned cash on their appearance.

To pull back the curtain on life as a Republican ‘glamazon’ at the heart of US politics, several former female staffers have described, in confidence, what it is really like to The Mail on Sunday.

Summed up in a word? Exhausting. ‘It gets to be utterly draining,’ as one burned-out employee admitted to me last week. 

Natalie Harp, aide to Trump, walks to a vehicle after arriving with Trump on the Ellipse near the White House on August 9, 2026

Trump with former US Attorney General Pam Bondi (centre) and former US Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem (left) in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC

Advertisement

‘You have to be exceptional at your job, which is a given, but if you’re a woman you have to look a certain way, dress a certain way and be available 24/7, because this is a President who barely sleeps.

‘Add to that the pressure of a family at home and it’s no wonder so many of us flame out.’

That tension was laid bare just last week when Karoline Leavitt, Trump’s formidable press secretary, announced she was leaving the White House to become a full-time mother to her two young children. 

The 28-year-old admitted her decision was ‘bittersweet’, saying that since returning to the White House following the birth of her daughter in May she felt she could not be the mother her baby and two-year-old son deserved – while simultaneously giving the job the ‘constant time, energy and attention’ it required. 

It was a remarkably candid admission from someone who has become one of the most recognisable women in Trump’s Washington. 

Despite that, Leavitt was photographed on Friday night, looking fiercely chic in a scarlet-red dress alongside the President as they prepared to board Air Force One to New York. She is due to step down this month.

And she is not the first to do so even this year alone.

In fact, six women from Trump’s inner circle have left since January: Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, Attorney General Pam Bondi, Homeland Security chief Kristi Noem, Labour Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer, Deputy Press Secretary Abigail Jackson and Director of Media Affairs Sonny Joy Nelson.

But perhaps it is little wonder. Quite aside from the normal pressures of a high-powered job in government, 80-year-old Trump is a man known for objectifying women (who can forget his famous ‘grab her by the p***y’ remark?) who is infamous for demanding total fealty, has unrelenting, exacting standards, and who sleeps only four hours a night. 

He is known for throwing ‘tantrums’ when things don’t go his way and expects those closest to him to be available all hours of the day and night.

And it is also no accident, commentators say, that the women elevated to work for Trump – who, in a previous life, owned the Miss Universe contest – are all beautiful, perfectly manicured and extremely capable.

Those who spoke to the MoS did so on condition of anonymity because their subsequent roles are within Trump-supporting organisations. 

The enduring fallout of working at the heart of the Maga movement under such a ‘polarising’ boss is such that many discovered they were viewed as a ‘liability’ by some employers, particularly blue-chip companies. Others have left the workplace completely.

A legal source said: ‘The President is always ‘on’. When he wants someone he shouts your name. And you’d better come running. He thinks nothing of calling you at 2am. 

‘You are expected to look a certain way. Most of the women at the White House get their hair blown out at least twice a week before work and then there is pressure to go to the gym and dress well. 

‘A lot of the younger aides don’t make that much money. You’re talking maybe $50,000 [£37,000] to $70,000 [£52,000] a year. It’s not only a stressful business working in Trump’s world – it’s an expensive one.’

Trump and Margo Martin, his deputy director of communications, at the 1st tee during LIV Golf Bedminster on August 11, 2023

For Karoline Leavitt, sources suggest, the pressure of her job while juggling two very young children simply got too much.

One source said Trump was so ‘dependent’ on her he ‘constantly’ called her during her most recent maternity leave, asking when she would return.

During her first maternity break she returned to work three days after giving birth because of the assassination attempt on Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania.

Karoline told an interviewer: ‘I had the baby in my arms and I looked at my husband and said: ‘I guess I’ll be going back to work.”

Another source close to the President’s inner circle said: ‘I don’t think Karoline minded being called but I think reality set in this time around. 

‘She’s always going to be expected to put the President first and maybe it’s time to put her kids first?’ Other women have been open about their time in Trump’s corridors of power.

For Blanche Sprague, who served as his high-powered executive and enforcer long before he became a force in politics, no time of day was off-limits for a call.

Now 67, Sprague has described her role as ‘like a nanny’ dealing with Trump’s petty grievances and requests.

‘He used to call me up at night and say, ‘Did you know that there’s a soda bottle in front of Trump Plaza?’ and I would have to make sure that it was picked up right away because he would drive past again to see that it was gone,’ she recalled.

On another occasion, at a book signing in Florida following the publication of Trump’s The Art Of The Deal in 1987, Sprague’s task was to make sure his favourite pen, with robin’s egg blue ink, did not run out. 

More recently, Susie Wiles, White House chief of staff, has credited her upbringing with an alcoholic father for her ability to work alongside Trump.

While the President does not drink, Wiles said that he had an ‘alcoholic’s [exaggerated] personality’ and governs with the mindset that ‘there’s nothing he can’t do. Nothing, zero, nothing’.

Meanwhile, other published accounts of life in his inner circle give more troubling insights into his alleged behaviour.

Stephanie Grisham, who worked as press secretary during Trump’s first term – and became First Lady Melania’s right-hand woman – wrote a scathing memoir, I’ll Take Your Questions Now, in which she accused the President of constantly berating her, describing his anger as ‘terrifying’. 

‘I began to see how his temper wasn’t just for shock value or the cameras,’ she wrote. 

‘I began to regret my decision to go to the West Wing.’ In one outburst, she said, Trump ‘unleashed on me’.

‘His eyes were fixed and filled with anger. His face had passed red and was turning almost purple.’

She also accused him of allegedly targeting young female employees, including a press aide who he invited into his private Air Force One cabin because he ‘wanted to look at her a**’.

But Trump has dismissed Grisham as a disgruntled former employee who had become ‘angry and bitter’ and was ‘paid by a radical Left-leaning publisher to say bad and untrue things’.

There is another way of looking at Trump’s interest in women, of course. The ‘dichotomy’ with Trump, as one source points out, is that – while he clearly loves being surrounded by brilliant, feisty (and good-looking) women – he is also a champion of their skills.

One said he had ‘always promoted women to senior positions, going all the way back to his early days in business’.

Many of the women who have worked for him are only too happy to acknowledge this fact.

One said: ‘You have to remember, this is a man who had two women – Kellyanne Conway and Susie Wiles – leading his election campaigns. During his first term his daughter [Ivanka] was front and centre.

‘He gave Karoline Leavitt the press secretary’s job at 26 and even people who disagree with her political views agree that she’s been one of the most impressive and effective press secretaries of all time. 

‘It’s unfair that people attack the President when he has been a great supporter of women in a town that has always been male-dominated. 

‘People criticise him for wanting women around him to have a certain level of professionalism and beauty, but that’s who he is.

‘He’s a businessman at heart and he has always believed that you need to dress to impress. 

‘To be fair, it’s not just the women. I’ve seen him attack men for wearing jeans or an ill-fitting suit.’

And those same defenders argue that it is natural ‘female competition’ that drives Trump’s women to focus so heavily on appearance.

‘He doesn’t force these women to have 6am blow-outs or get plastic surgery or go on weight-loss drugs,’ the source points out.

‘They get the Botox and fillers because the White House is a competitive place.

‘Everyone is vying for his attention. He’s the President of the United States, for God’s sake.’

Trump doesn’t mind that attention at all, according to author Michael Wolff, who has written four books about the President.

He says: ‘I think part of it is Trump saying, ‘They are available to me’. That’s what he wants people to think. I think that it remains enormously important to him to be seen as the guy the women are around.’ (For his part, Trump’s spokesman Steven Cheung has in response called Wolff ‘a lying sack of s***’.) But there is no suggestion that Trump does not recognise female expertise – far from it.

Two of his closest aides are Natalie Harp (social media) and Margo Martin (press). Both are impossibly leggy and glamorous and are reported to have the President’s ear.

Meanwhile, when it comes to Leavitt, she will firmly remain on Trump’s speed dial.

‘The President trusts her judgment. He respects her decision to spend time with her kids but he will continue to seek her guidance,’ one loyalist said.

Some have suggested that Leavitt has chosen to jump ship ahead of November’s mid-term elections in which Trump is expected to get a drubbing. 

But the legal source said: ‘I would strongly refute that. I think Karoline has shown how times have changed.

‘If anything, Trump has empowered women. He’s made it very clear that he’s keeping her on as a trusted adviser. She’s only 28.

‘In the 1980s, women had to choose between a career or family. Now they don’t. 

‘She’s more than proved herself at her job and she’s not going anywhere. Mark my words. Karoline will remain a force behind the scenes.’

With applications to fill positions at the White House at an all-time high, particularly from young women hoping to emulate the success of others like Leavitt, there is unlikely to be a shortage of glamazons to take her place.

Gordon Woods, who was abused at Celtic Boys Club as a youth, passed away on Wednesday aged 71.

Rangers fans have been asked to take part in a minute’s applause for a Celtic Boys Club victim who spent his life fighting for justice.

Gordon Woods, 71, passed away on the morning of Wednesday, August 12 after a battle with a chronic lung disease. Gordon spent decades fighting for Celtic to be held accountable for the abuse that was inflicted on youths at Celtic Boys Club between the 1960s and mid-1990s.

He bravely waived his right to anonymity to lay bare the scale of the horrific mistreatment he and other boys were subjected to. Woods’ family is now asking Rangers fans to take part in a minute’s applause on the 71st minute during this Sunday’s match against St Mirren.

In response to their appeal, one fan wrote: “Gordon was a true warrior and never gave up fighting what he believed was right.”

Speaking in 2023, Woods told how he had finally taken back power from beast Jim Torbett, who terrified him as a child. Torbett began attacking Woods when he was just 13 years old. Gordon told his trial how the beast would assault him up to 40 times between 1967 and 1968.

The attacks took place in the paedophile’s flat and his car and in the back of a toy shop in Glasgow.

Speaking to the Record at the time, Gordon said: “I hope Torbett rots in jail for the pain and suffering he has caused to countless families. I have felt guilt, shame and embarrassment for over 30 years, but I have now achieved what I set out to do.

“I have taken back control from Torbett. I faced him in a court of law. The court offered me a screen so he couldn’t see me, but I refused. I wanted him to look at me when I told the court what he did to me. I wanted to show he has no power over me anymore.”

Gordon was among a group of 28 men who launched legal action against Celtic after they suffered abuse at the hands of Torbett, Frank Cairney and Jim McCafferty. Last year, nine further victims came forward after Celtic FC made payouts of more than £1million to 24 of 28 cases represented by Thomsons Solicitors.

Gordon’s death was confirmed by the Spotlight Abuse Campaign earlier this week.

A statement reads: “A brave man passed away today. Years of ill health has finally claimed the life of Gordon Woods. Our heartfelt condolences go out to his family. He leaves behind a legacy of courage and dogged determination in the face of seemingly overwhelming odds.”

Tributes poured in for Gordon online following the news of his passing.

Neil Buchanan said: “So sad to read this. Rest in peace Gordon. They never ground you down. You were relentless.”

Tom McVey wrote: “My thoughts with his family and friends. The work he did in exposing the decades of abuse should never be forgotten.”

Another person wrote: “Rest easy Gordon. You fought for the truth in the face of adversity and cover up. Your fight is done Sir. God speed.”

Arthur Travers posted: “Such a brave man. My thoughts and prayers go out to him and his family.”

Don’t miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond – Sign up to our daily newsletter here .

The company says that how an address is written can affect how easily and accurately an item is sorted and delivered, especially on handwritten letters and parcels.

The company’s guidance says: “Use clear and easy to read handwriting (or font if you are printing the address).”

It also recommends using ink that contrasts strongly with the envelope or parcel to ensure readability throughout the delivery process.

While no specific pen colour is prohibited, black ink on a white label or light-coloured envelope is generally the safest option.

Royal Mail says: “It’s important that the address shows up against the colour of your envelope.”

Pens that smudge or produce faint marks can cause problems if the writing becomes blurred during handling.

Royal Mail advice on how to format addresses

Royal Mail also advises customers to place the address on the bottom left-hand side of the front of the envelope or parcel, with the postage in the top right corner.

Addresses should be left-aligned rather than centred or staggered, and there should be adequate space left around the address.

Punctuation such as commas or full stops should be avoided.

The correct address format begins with the recipient’s name, followed by the property number and street name.

If the property has a name instead of a number, this should be included as part of the address.

The local area or village should follow, then the town—written in capital letters.

Royal Mail says that including the county is not necessary for UK mail and can be omitted without affecting delivery.

Recommended reading:

The postcode should be written in capital letters on the final line of the address.

Royal Mail said: “Write the address clearly on the front, following our guidelines, and always include a postcode if possible.”

For international mail, the destination country should be written in capital letters on the last line.

Do you write addresses by hand, and did you know this guidance? Let us know in the comments.

World Atlas has named the 12 prettiest small towns across the UK, with Robin Hood’s Bay making it onto the list.

Other areas, including Castle Combe and Rye, alongside other seaside towns like St Ives, were mentioned.

The “vibrant” area has a sandy beach, cobbled streets, and many pubs and cafés to enjoy.

Why is Robin Hood’s Bay a great place to visit?

On the town, World Atlas said: “Robin Hood’s Bay appears almost as if it has been folded into the hillside above the North Sea.

“Narrow passages wind between old stone cottages before dropping toward the shoreline, reflecting the village’s origins as a fishing community where buildings were packed closely together for protection from coastal weather.

“The steep streets and changing views make even a short walk feel different depending on the direction, with small courtyards, hidden corners, and glimpses of the sea appearing between the houses.

“At low tide, the beach reveals rock pools and fossils beneath the cliffs, while the surrounding coastline attracts walkers following the Cleveland Way National Trail, one of England’s best-known long-distance walking routes.

“The village’s old fishing cottages now house cafés, pubs, and independent shops, including The Old School House, a café set inside a converted historic building, and The Laurel Inn, a traditional pub overlooking the winding streets.

“Nearby, Robin Hood’s Bay Museum explores the village’s maritime past and smuggling history, adding context to the narrow lanes and old stone buildings.

“By evening, many residents and visitors make their way toward the shoreline, where the sound of the waves and village lights create a quieter side of this dramatic coastal community.”

The sandy beach is well worth a visit, with rock pools to explore and fossils to hunt.

The beach has an interesting history, as it used to be used by smugglers, with it being believed that there are underground passages beneath some of the sold houses in the area.

Reviewers on Tripadvisor have said the beach is “secluded” and “beautifully quiet,” making it a nice spot for a picnic.

For food, you could visit the Cove, which is a little café with wonderful views of the sea that you can enjoy while eating a stacked ciabatta or slice of cake.

If you want the full seaside experience, you can go to the Fish Box, an “express style” food spot where you can get classic fish and chips to eat outside on the picnic tables overlooking the sea.

The area is hugely popular for walking, with coastal walks running for miles that connect Robin Hood’s Bay with other seaside towns and villages.

From short and relaxing strolls to more strenuous hikes, you should be able to find a coastal pathway for you.

Have you ever been to Robin Hood’s Bay before? Let us know in the comments.

It has been described as a ‘beautiful tall woodland’ where families can explore

Cambridgeshire is a county complete with gorgeous spots that locals and nature-enthusiasts can experience first-hand. There are a variety of nature reserves with different attributes such as flowers popping with colour, trails, greenery and thriving wildlife.

With the hot-spell of weather, and the gorgeous sunshine showing its face, these make for truly lovely places to walk. One beauty spot near Cambridge with “majestic” beech trees is a must-visit for residents.

This is Beechwoods Nature Reserve in the charming village of Great Shelford. Nestled within the heart of the countryside, about four miles from Cambridge, the nature reserve is a particularly small woodland compared to others in the county, measuring only 10-hectares.

It was first planted in the 1840s, creating a nature reserve that feels bigger and more remote than it actually is. According to Wildlife Trust for Beds, Cambs and Northants, the reserve offers “small yet impressive wood of majestic beeches”.

Beechwoods is about 10-minutes from the city by driving. Hidden beneath the beech trees, delicate white helleborine orchids flourish, pushing up their flowering spikes in the spring before the beech leaves project their deep shade.

Describing the surroundings, a pervious visitor said Beechwoods Nature Reserve is a “real hidden gem” that is the “perfect spot for a short walk away from hustle and bustle- just you and the beech trees”.

Another visitor wrote on Google: “We love this beautiful tall woodland. The paths are winding and mostly clear so the kids can explore and there are some nice open clearings where you can have a picnic. Lots of dog walkers and people out enjoying nature.”

Parking is limited near to the nature reserve but visitors are advised of free parking in a large layby on Worts Causeway.

Doctors have discovered a pioneering procedure that can prevent nearly 80 per cent of deadly ovarian cancers.

Known as the ‘silent killer’, ovarian cancer kills more than 4,000 British women every year – with one in 50 women developing it in their lifetime. 

The disease causes notoriously few symptoms until it has already spread to surrounding organs. 

As a result, nearly 80 per cent of ovarian cancers are caught at a late stage, when they are no longer curable. Just 17 per cent of women with stage four ovarian cancer  live for five years or more. 

Now, new research suggests there may be a way to prevent the disease from developing in the first place. 

Studies published over the last 20 years have shown that nearly all ovarian cancers – and certainly the vast majority of the deadliest ones – are actually cancers of the fallopian tubes. 

These tubular ducts, responsible for carrying eggs from the ovaries to the uterus, are just 10cm long, on average. 

By removing them, research suggests, you can slash the risk of deadly cancer by up to 80 per cent. 

The five-minute operation can be done as part of nearly any abdominal surgery – including hysterectomies, tubal ligations, gallbladder surgeries, hernia repairs and even caesarian sections. 

And a growing body of research suggests it could be the future of ovarian cancer prevention.

In Britain, women considered ‘high-risk’ for ovarian cancer – whether from a family history of breast or ovarian cancer, or those carrying inherited gene mutations like BRCA1 or BRCA2 – are already offered preventative surgeries to reduce their chance of developing the disease. 

Standard NHS guidance advises removing both the ovaries and fallopian tubes. 

But this procedure sends women into early menopause, which carries its own health risks – including increased chance of bone-thinning disease osteoporosis, neurocognitive decline and even heart disease. 

Instead, a new nation-wide trial in Britain is examining whether these high-risk women should instead be offered fallopian tube removal alone – with the option to remove the ovaries after menopause. 

While results won’t be published for another few years, initial findings of the PROTECTOR trial suggest that this two-tiered approach can considerably improve a woman’s quality of life by not sending her into early menopause, while still cutting her cancer risk by 80 to 96 per cent.

Now, a growing number of experts say that the procedure should be offered to women at average risk of the disease as well. 

Studies show that removing the fallopian tubes of all women – no matter theirrisk level – can slash the likelihood of developing some of the most common, and lethal, forms of ovarian cancer by as much as 80 per cent. 

The graphic shows the warning signs of ovarian cancer, including bloating and back pain

Advertisement

The 20 per cent or so of cancers that begin in the ovaries, meanwhile, tend to be the more curable forms of the disease, research suggests. 

While stand-alone surgery to remove the tubes is still typically reserved for women at high genetic or familial risk, experts say the procedure should be offered to any women already undergoing an unrelated pelvic operation, once she has completed her family. 

Health bodies in the US are now recommending that all women above the age of 45 – when they are unlikely to want to conceive – who are already undergoing abdominal surgery, be given the option to have their fallopian tubes removed. 

In the last few years, the American College of Surgeons, American Cancer Society and even EU body the European Society of Gynaecological Oncology, have all issued statements encouraging doctors to offer tube removal at the time of other abdominal procedures. 

And the American Cancer Society is even working on a national campaign to make more women and doctors aware that tube removal can help prevent most ovarian cancers.

Experts say that the procedure is already being offered in Britain to women of average risk of ovarian cancer during routine abdominal surgeries. 

But more awareness is needed about the procedure amongst women and doctors alike, says Dr Ranjit Manchanda, professor of gynaecological oncology at Queen Mary University of London and chief investigator on the PROTECTOR trial.

‘This is a huge and important finding. But there needs to be more awareness of the procedure,’ he said. 

‘It’s something where practice is gradually changing as data emerges. Over the next few years we should see it more embedded in practice.’  

BAELEN, Belgium (AP) — Firefighters battled a massive wildfire in eastern Belgium on Sunday that has burned more than 27 square kilometers (10 square miles) in the High Fens, a large nature reserve, and forced nearby residents to evacuate in what media describe as one of the worst-ever wildfires in the country’s recent history.

About 600 residents in nearby municipalities in Waimes and Bütgenbach, in Liège province near the German border, were told to evacuate Saturday as winds shifted and smoke spread through the area. Authorities also advised tourists to leave, while a nearby gymnasium was opened to receive evacuees.

Liège provincial Gov. Hervé Jamar said in a statement Sunday that more than 250 emergency personnel have been deployed, including over 100 Belgian and German firefighters, police and military officers and civil protection staff, helped by firefighting helicopters operated by Belgium’s federal police and the Netherlands,

Authorities said no homes had been affected as of Sunday morning, though the fire remained close to residential areas and heavy smoke persisted. They urged people to stay away from the fire zone, warning that unnecessary traffic could obstruct emergency vehicles and complicate firefighting operations.

The fire follows weeks of unusually hot and dry weather. The High Fens’ mix of heathland and peat bogs has complicated efforts to contain the flames.

In the nearby town of Monschau, in Germany, local authorities warned overnight that the fire was about 3 kilometers (2 miles) from the border and said firefighters were on alert. Early Sunday morning, the town website recommended that people in three outlying districts near the border leave the area temporarily because officials couldn’t rule out health risks caused by smoke.

Belgium was hit by another spell of intense heat this week, with temperatures reaching about 37 C (98.6 F) in parts of the country Friday.

___

Corbet reported from Paris. AP writer Geir Moulson in Berlin contributed.

“I’m going to tell you the truth. He told me he’s watching Kit.”

Mark Allen’s on-air remarks during S4C’s coverage of Connah’s Quay’s defeat to Welsh champions The New Saints back in March was the first time it was publicly mentioned.

Manchester United scout Tony Coton, an old friend of Allen’s from their days playing at Manchester City together, was allegedly in the crowd to watch a largely unknown Swansea City loanee.

“He’s competent in what he’s doing. He’s growing up, and every time I see him play, he’s growing up in front of me,” Allen added.

In all honesty, it was a claim that wasn’t necessarily taken very seriously by many, including by some insiders at Swansea.

Just a couple of months on, however, young Kit Margetson is preparing to embark on a new chapter at Old Trafford, one he hopes will lead to the very top for club and country.

Training in the back garden

Margetson, who leaves the Swans without making a single senior appearance for the club, shares what for many in Wales is an instantly recognisable surname.

His father Martyn was, for much of his son’s time in SA1, serving as a goalkeeper coach with Swansea’s senior side, having held similar roles with both Wales and England.

Martyn is now back with the Wales set-up under Craig Bellamy, and has predictably had a big hand in his son’s early development, particularly during the Covid lockdown, which in another life might have put the then 13-year-old’s progress on ice.

“Me and Kit have had some major run-ins,” Martyn laughs.

JOIN US ON FACEBOOK! Follow Wales Online’s Swansea City FB page for more news and analysis

“But I knew goalkeeping was going to come full circle. I knew it in lockdown.

“Goalkeepers were going to be needed to be able to play the ball third line, not just, you know, tippy-tappy stuff playing out from your six-yard box.

“During lockdown was when Kit started to evolve as a goalkeeper because obviously we couldn’t go into training.

“I couldn’t go into training with Swansea, so me and Kit, we just trained together every day.

“In that time then I said to him, ‘the game’s going to come full circle again, and you’re going to be able to need to be able to kick the ball in behind the back four’.

“So we spent a lot of time in lockdown practising his longer-range kicking.

“Lo and behold, it is evolving full circle, and last year I think he had five assists for Connah’s Quay.

“He’s now capable of seeing a situation he likes, and he hits the ball in behind. He’s able to do that as well as play the shorter game.

“When that starts happening and metrics are being hit by a young goalkeeper out on loan playing men’s football, then, you know, the big boys then, they get alerted to it.

“That’s basically what happened with Kit.”

Lockdown also coincided with a massive growth spurt for the teenager, who would later go on to enjoy guidance from some of the club’s more established shot-stoppers.

“He came down one day in lockdown and I looked at him and I thought, ‘Bloody hell’.

“I watched him walk through the door and I said, ‘Do me a favour, Kit’. I said, ‘Just go upstairs and put your school trousers on’.

“Honestly, he came down and his school trousers were above his ankles.

“There’s a bit of science behind it because a lot of kids in that lockdown period, because they were sleeping for so long – you didn’t have to wake them up to go to school, for example.

“A lot of them shot up in lockdown, and Kit was one of them.

“He was growing and growing and has obviously got up to 6ft 4 now.

“So he had the physical attributes, we just had to work on the tactical side of things.

“I’m really passionate about that, and I concentrated on that with him throughout the whole of lockdown.

“I have to say last season, Lawrence Vigouroux, Andy Fisher and Paul Farman (Swansea’s goalkeepers) were a huge part of Kit’s development as well because he trained with us every day.

“That for him was massive because then he was going to Connah’s Quay and playing.”

The spell that changed everything

Margetson’s move to Old Trafford comes despite him not playing a single minute of senior football at the Swans, with his only real taste of first-team football coming in the form of a season-long loan spell at Cymru Premier side Connah’s Quay, where he spent the final year of his Swans contract.

As head coach John Disney explains, it proved a pivotal step in his career.

Disney is, as it happens, friends with Kit’s older brother Ben, whom he heard raving about the young goalkeeper’s progress in the Swans academy set-up.

“Quite a lot of clubs were interested in him at the time,” Disney remembers. “I think there were a couple of bids turned down from Brighton and other clubs at the time.

“We needed a goalkeeper on loan. My remit was to try and get a young goalkeeper, so I went to watch him live.

“The first thing that impressed me massively was his distribution with his feet.

“He was unbelievable. He can play short, he can play long, which is a dying art, I think, in goalkeepers now, especially the younger ones.

Advertisement

“A lot of them are told to play out. But away from the coaching element, he just had a really good presence about him.

“He’s obviously a tall lad and he holds his box really well.

“But he was playing in youth football at the time, and I was just excited to see what that would look like from the men’s game.

“When he first came into the building, obviously he was coming from a Championship club into a part-time Welsh club, but his respect for everyone around the place was impeccable, and that’s probably credit to him and his family.

“I always trusted Kit and always knew that we could get something out of him. I never thought it would ever end up in a move to Manchester United, I’ll be honest with you!”

The Wales call-up

As well as scouts from Man United, Wales are clearly keeping a keen eye on the youngster’s progress.

Having previously come through the age grades, Kit received his first call-up to the under-21s back in September, and won his first cap under Matty Jones in the 2-0 win over Belarus back in March.

Goalkeeper coach Alex Ramsay is reluctant to saddle the youngster with any sort of prediction over where his talents may take him, but has already been impressed by the 20-year-old’s attitude.

“There’s obviously no doubt that he has a high level of technical ability both in possession and from a goalkeeping perspective,” he said.

“But what really stood out to me is the way he carried himself as a character.

“He showed a real willingness to learn and contribute to the team and to the goalkeeping group in general throughout the camp.

“But I just think the way he carried himself from a personal perspective really stood out to me.”

Bellamy is also closely monitoring Kit’s progress, having brought him into an EFL training camp earlier in the summer.

“You learn a lot and you get a lot as well,” Bellamy said at the time.

“We’ve selected one or two we would like to see in certain areas that we’re going to need in the next few years. It’s been really good to get to see them and you always leave these type of weeks with a lot of optimism for the future. There are some really good young players coming through, so it’s great to be able to get to see them and for them to see us as well.”

A future Wales number one?

When it comes to assessing the next generation, a new batch of goalkeeping talent will be one of the more pronounced items on the collective wishlist.

Karl Darlow and Danny Ward look to be the two contenders right now, but at 35 and 33 respectively, it’s natural to wonder how many more years either of them will be able to offer.

Options beyond them are frankly rather thin right now, and it’s not implausible that youngsters like Kit will become subjects of keen interest.

“Craig has certain principles for what his goalkeepers have to be,” dad Martyn adds. “They have to be able to handle football with their feet, and Kit certainly fits that bill.

“So obviously Craig is delighted for Kit to get this move, like he is for any Welsh player given this opportunity.

“With respect to our current goalkeepers, as brilliant as I think they all are in what they’ve done in their careers, they’re all about 30.

“So there is an opportunity, you know, in the years ahead for a young one to try and establish themselves.

“But he’s only going to do that if he’s out playing games.”

Martyn believes a loan move away probably awaits, although the rigours of Premier League 2 and the UEFA Youth League will both prove valuable experiences.

Disney, meanwhile, has fully accepted the possibility of a loan move back to Connah’s Quay, but has no doubt Kit has all the attributes needed to one day play at the highest level.

“I think he’s got the full dynamic of what a footballer or goalkeeper needs to be a part of a Premier League squad,” he added.

“But any footballer needs a bit of luck, to stay injury-free and to have a breakthrough. They need an opportunity, somebody to back them and trust them.

“That doesn’t matter whatever level that’s at. We had to back and trust Kit as an 18, 19-year-old keeper.

“So I think it’s going to take a little bit of time. He’s going to have to make sure he earns his stripes in training every day at Manchester United, and then he’s obviously going to have to earn his stripes while getting a loan move where possible and really kick on.

“But as I said to my owner back in June of last year, I do think Kit Margetson will play for Wales, and he will be Wales’ number one someday.”

*Follow all of our social channels to ensure you stay up to date with the latest Swans news. Sign up to our daily newsletter here and our WhatsApp channel here. Our Swansea City correspondent Tom Coleman is also on social media. He can be found on his X account here, on Instagram, on TikTok and on Facebook.