The moment I told my mum I wanted to stop football - and how life changed
#Leah Williamson #England football captain #The Football Interview #Women's football #Euro 2022 victory #Career challenges #Personal growth #Sports interview
📌 Key Takeaways
- Williamson considered quitting football at 15 before a conversation with her mother
- She has won almost everything in women's football including European championships
- The 2022 Euros victory changed the landscape of women's football in England
- Williamson balances her football career with interests in fashion and music
📖 Full Retelling
England captain Leah Williamson sat down with presenter Kelly Somers for a revealing interview about her football journey and life beyond the sport, which will be broadcast on BBC One at 23:50 BST on Saturday, February 28, as part of the new series 'The Football Interview' that explores the person behind the player. In the wide-ranging conversation, Williamson shared her early football memories, starting from when she was just five or six years old at gymnastics where she first kicked a ball, to her time playing for Youth FC where she was the only girl on the team and faced challenges from opponents. Williamson revealed she considered quitting football at age 15 due to the travel costs, physical exhaustion, and uncertainty about making it professionally, having a candid conversation with her mother in a car park where she expressed his doubts about the gamble of pursuing football as a career. Despite these doubts, Williamson persevered, signing her first professional contract on her 18th birthday and going on to win almost every trophy available in women's football, including two European championships as England captain and multiple titles with Arsenal including the Champions League. The interview also delved into how the 2022 Euros victory transformed both her career and the landscape of women's football in England, creating a moment of such magnitude that she and her teammates knew they would never experience anything quite like it again, while also revealing how she balances the pressures of professional football with her love for fashion and music as ways to switch off from the demands of her day job.
🏷️ Themes
Career Journey, Personal Development, Women's Football, Mental Resilience
📚 Related People & Topics
Personal development
Activities that develop a person's capabilities and potential
Personal development or self-improvement consists of activities that develops a person's capabilities and potential, enhance quality of life, and facilitate the realization of dreams and aspirations. Personal development may take place over the course of an individual's entire lifespan and is not li...
Leah Williamson
English footballer (born 1997)
Leah Cathrine Williamson (born 29 March 1997) is an English professional footballer who plays for Women's Super League club Arsenal and captains the England women's national team. A versatile player, she plays in central defence or in midfield, and has spent her entire senior domestic career at Ars...
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Original Source
The moment I told my mum I wanted to stop football - and how life changed Published 34 minutes ago The Football Interview is a new series in which the biggest names in sport and entertainment join host Kelly Somers for bold and in-depth conversations about the nation's favourite sport. We'll explore mindset and motivation, and talk about defining moments, career highs and personal reflections. The Football Interview brings you the person behind the player. Interviews will drop on weekends across BBC iPlayer, YouTube, BBC Sounds and the BBC Sport website. This week's interview will be broadcast on BBC One from 23:50 BST on Saturday, 28 February. Leah Williamson has won almost everything there is to win in women's football. Twice a European champion as England captain, she has also lifted every trophy available to her during a 20-year career with Arsenal - including the Champions League and inaugural Women's Champions Cup. Now she wants the World Cup. In a wide-ranging interview, Williamson tells Kelly Somers she considered turning her back on football as a teenager before a conversation with her mum convinced her to stick with it. She also talks about her love of fashion and how music helps her switch off from the pressures of the day job. Kelly Somers: Leah, nice to see you - thank you for your time. Let's start with football. I want to know the first time you played football, your first memories and also - because of something you've just said to me off camera - how good were you? Leah Williamson: The first time I ever played football, my memory was at gymnastics. I must have been five or six. We were just waiting for our parents at the end to pick us up and the coach was a football fan, so we just got out a soft ball. My first proper memory is playing for my local team, but my mum says it was painful. Kelly: Because you weren't very good?! Leah: Yeah. She's like: 'You go and support your kids, but at the same time, it wasn't thrilling to watch. It's not like I was...
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