I watched history made at Wembley on Sunday, with my two young sons next to me. I couldn’t sleep that night. I continued to scour social media to see all the joy and celebration, then watched the game on TV again – I didn’t want to miss a single moment of this wonderful occasion. I’m tired, but I’m sure I’m not as tired as the Lionesses, who I know will have had a big party – like we would have when I captained England between 2002 and 2012 .
I am immensely proud of the girls and also feel lucky to have been able to play a role in uplifting women’s football. I’ve always said that as long as you leave England in a better place than when you first put the shirt on, and you fight and you work, then you can look in the mirror and say, ” I did everything I could for this sport.” I know I did.
The investment in gaming got us here – that, and the constant battle to change people’s perceptions. When I joined Arsenal aged 17, in 1996, I had to pay substitutes – around five pounds a week, which was a lot at the time, to play. You would probably have to go back generations for that to have been the case for Arsenal’s men’s team. I remember in 2009, when we lost the Euro final against Germany, arriving at Heathrow airport: there was not a single camera or journalist there. This time I spoke in Trafalgar Square on Sunday before the game, and I couldn’t believe how many fans were there to support the team. The gulf between yesterday and today is incredible.
I remember flying to the 2011 World Cup quarter-final in economy class. The whole team had a physiotherapist and a doctor. We had to go to the hotel room after games and sit in ice baths. Now the team has several physiotherapists, doctors and masseuses, as well as super cold cryotherapy chambers. They get more resources, which is essential for athletes to allow them to focus on their fitness and performance.
I was lucky enough to play for England in 2009 when the team were given central contracts which allowed us to drop our jobs and train more. Many of the women I played with for England had other jobs – as firefighters or postal workers – and I had worked as a fitness instructor. When I joined Arsenal and became England captain, they gave me and a few other players a role as development workers, going to schools and talking to young girls and doing workouts to inspire them.
Still, I would get up at 6 a.m., go to work, go straight to practice, and then come back at midnight to do it all over again. It’s changing, but we have to keep the momentum going. And it has to start at the bottom. Every girl should have the opportunity to play football in primary school. We need to normalize everyone who plays football – even if it’s a kick on the break.
We have incredible role models now, including England captain Leah Williamson at the top of the game. We have to keep raising her. Because men’s fixtures are so condensed, they still dominate, but clubs need to share their facilities more to allow women’s matches to take place. Sponsorship is also essential. Why wouldn’t a company want to strike a commercial deal with this amazing team, players and role models?
I’m proud to have been involved in women’s football: it’s honest, it’s passionate, it’s driven by pure love. If a player stays on the ground, you know she is injured. Otherwise, they bounce back and continue the game; they respect the referee and only play for the purpose of inspiring, achieving and being incredible role models for the sport. If you are new to women’s football recently, welcome! Now go out and go to games and enjoy this amazing journey. I promise you will never go to a Women’s Super League game and feel better after the game.
When something is difficult, when you had to overcome barriers to do it, it makes it all the more rewarding when you get there. And that’s how I feel when I watch this team play. I’ve played with or against several of them – Jill Scott, Ellen White, Lucy Bronze – over the years. I know what they went through to be there. And I couldn’t be prouder.
