SAINTS Women's star Molly Pike believes her side will learn a lot from facing English giants Arsenal in the Continental Cup on Thursday night. 

Saints have already hit a new record total of tickets sold for a women's game ahead of welcoming the Gunners to St Mary's.

Jonas Eidevall’s side may only be competing in the Conti Cup by virtue of their elimination from Women’s Champions League qualifying, but they did reach the UWCL semi-finals last season - a clear sign of their quality.

Arsenal currently sit second in the Women’s Super League, three points behind reigning champions Chelsea. With that in mind, the magnitude of the game isn't lost on Pike: “It’s massive," she told the Daily Echo. 

"If we can get everyone we can down to watch the game we can promote our football while also testing ourselves against one of the best teams in the league above us.

“I think it will be good. Hopefully, it will be a good experience for us and the fans and it can help us get more in the crowd for the games that come after that.

“The fans are the 12th player. They help us get through games. They help us win games and they help us draw games. We all understand the importance of fans coming.”

Pike joined Southampton FC Women this summer after two seasons with Leicester City in the Women's Super League.

The 22 year old's football journey began with the Hampshire FA, where she played alongside Kayla Rendell and Ella Morris.

Daily Echo: Molly Pike joins Saints following Leicester City exit

Moving closer to home was a motivating factor in her decision to drop down to the Championship, and after a conversation with Marieanne Spacey-Cale, her mind was set.

“The style of play and how Marieanne explained the club to me meant that Saints was always where I wanted to go.

"I was really excited to come here. It’s always nice to settle in back at home and the girls have been lovely - they’ve made it easy for me to settle at the club.

“The facilities are also amazing. It’s great that we are in and around the men’s team and the Under-21s. We know that we can use stuff when we need to.

“There isn’t any hierarchy around the training ground. Everyone is on the same level which is really good. It makes you feel valued and happy when you come into training."

Pike isn't the only player in Saints' squad with WSL experience. Full-back Jemma Purfield also made the switch from Leicester this summer. 

Daily Echo:

Laura Raffety, Chloe Peplow, Meg Wynne, Katie Wilkinson and Rianna Dean have also experienced life in the top flight.

Asked if those experiences playing against the best teams in the country can help Saints against Arsenal, Pike said: “This is going to be a big learning opportunity.

"It will be good for our experience to help the girls, but they will be all good. They are going to be a massive test.

"We will focus on ourselves and try to get a result. We will try to learn from them about how we can compete against the bigger teams.

“As long as we play our football we will be fine. Because they are such a test, we will learn the areas where we are vulnerable and the areas where we are good. We can take those lessons into our league season."