We travelled to Liverpool to sit down with FA Cup Baller of the Round, Olivia Smith. The 20-year-old Canadian has been instrumental to The Reds in her first season with the club scoring six goals in 15 games. But Smith was on fire in the Adobe Women’s FA Cup Quarter-Final, helping Liverpool secure a 1-0 win against Arsenal, taking them into the Semi-Final for the first time since 2016-17.
Liverpool take on Chelsea in the Semi-Final on 12th April!
SAB: When the Quarter-Final game was finally over, what emotions did you feel?
Olivia Smith: I felt an overwhelming feeling of excitement. It was a massive game for us to win and I feel like we had an amazing performance as a team.
SAB: What was going through your head when you beat Arsenal at their home ground in the Quarter Finals?
Olivia: I had a lot of thoughts running through my head, but mainly just we did it and I’m just so proud of the group. I’m very excited to move on to the next round.
SAB: How does it feel having Liverpool through to the Semi-Finals?
Olivia: It’s just a massive accomplishment for us as a team. We were ready for this competition and we have all the tools to win!
SAB: What does playing in the FA Cup mean to you?
Olivia: Playing in the FA Cup honestly means a lot to me and my teammates. My family watch me back home and it’s just a massive and competitive tournament!
SAB: What was your favourite moment from the game?
Olivia: It was when Soph (Roman Haug) scored. I just feel like it was just a massive feeling of relief for me personally for sure, but also for us as a team – to get that goal and to be up one nil.
SAB: How do you stay composed in big games?
Olivia: I get really excited. I don’t necessarily feel much pressure, but more of this is my opportunity to have freedom and just to be who I am.
SAB: Do you have any tips to young players for dealing with nerves?
Olivia: To remind yourself of what your individual qualities are and what you bring and just being confident in that and believing in yourself.
SAB: How does it feel knowing you’ll face Chelsea in the Semi-Finals?
Olivia: To face Chelsea in the semi-finals. I’m really excited. We’ve played them in the league and we performed really well and now that we have different resources, we have a competitive squad and training’s going well. I think we have a really good chance at winning.
SAB: What is your favourite thing about being a footballer?
Olivia: The freedom to express myself.
SAB: What is your favourite footballing memory?
Olivia: My favourite footballing memory would have to be getting called into the World Cup team in Australia.
SAB: What is the hardest thing about being a footballer that people on the outside don’t see?
Olivia: The mentality. I know a lot of people kind of look at the physical piece and just running 90 minutes for weeks at a time but there’s definitely a mental toll that it takes on you depending on obviously your environment and different things going on and trying to manage that with personal issues as well.
SAB: If you could change one thing about the women’s game, what would it be and why?
Olivia: I think it would be our exposure. We definitely deserve a lot more than what we get and we’re more deserving of more fans, more media presence, more of everything!
SAB: How does it feel to be Baller of the Round?
Olivia: To be Baller of the Round is honestly just an honour. I feel like I’ve worked very hard and I’m just super grateful to receive this award.
SAB: How far do you think Liverpool can go this season?
Olivia: I think Liverpool can go as far as we want. I think us finishing top five will definitely be on our books!
We travelled to South London to sit down with FA Cup Baller of the Round, Abbie Larkin. The 19-year-old scored the winning goal and secured an assist against Newcastle United, in the fifth round to send Crystal Palace through to the FA Cup Quarter-Final for the first time in the club’s history.
Crystal Palace take on Chelsea on Sunday 9th March 2025!
SAB: When the game was finally over, what emotions did you feel?
Abbie: Just happiness, to be honest. I’ve seen the look on the girls’ faces. And especially coming off the bench, getting my first goal and helping Ashleigh get her goal as well.
SAB: What was going through your head when you scored the winner against Newcastle?
Abbie: I couldn’t really believe it at first! It was one thing that I proved to myself – that I’m able to get back on my feet, get my first goal and just enjoy playing the game!
SAB: How does it feel having Palace through to the quarter-finals for the first time in the club’s history?
Abbie: Amazing – I actually only found out that Palace haven’t got this far in the tournament before quite recently, so to help them get here, it’s amazing. Hopefully we can go further!
SAB: What does playing in the FA Cup mean to you?
Abbie: It’s always been like a dream of mine as well as playing in the WSL. It’s a big Cup alongside the best teams in the league. It’s another opportunity for Palace to get a few wins under our belt as well. Coming into WSL at the start was tough – coming from the Championship. Proving ourselves in the FA Cup has been good for the team.
SAB: What was your favourite moment from the game?
Abbie: I’d say getting the assist for Ashleigh. That definitely gave us confidence in getting at them again and again, proving to myself that, after coming off the bench, I can make an impact.
SAB: How do you stay composed in big games like that, and are there any tips to young players who are dealing with nerves?
Abbie: Just enjoy it and get everything out of your head. At the end of the day, you’re just trying to prove to yourself how good you can be and not anyone around you. When you’re feeling free, you can play your best football!
SAB: How does it feel knowing you’ll face Chelsea in the quarter-final?
Abbie: It’ll be good for us. We’ve played them before when we’re in the Championship and we’ve done really well against them – we were unlucky to concede a goal.
If you come out with a lot of confidence – like that which we had against Newcastle, we’ll definitely give them a good fight.
SAB: What’s your favourite thing about being a footballer?
Abbie: It’s always been my dream. I love playing football – I love the game. Making lifelong friends, moving abroad and seeing different places. I’ve always had a love for the sport.
SAB: What’s the hardest thing about being a footballer that people might not see on the outside?
Abbie: The mentality side of it – it’s tough, especially moving away from your family when you’re quite close to them. Making new friends can be tough for sometimes and sometimes not playing (after suffering an injury) – especially when you’ve come from playing every minute of a game. It can take a while to get your confidence back up!
SAB: How does it feel to be Baller of the Round?
Abbie: Feels really good! I never actually thought it would be me – especially seeing the players that were in it as well. I was just coming on and trying to make an impact for the girls. But it’s amazing so thank you!
SAB: How far do you think Palace can go this season?
Abbie: We can go far as long as we keep working hard. We can’t skip any corners – we have to definitely keep driving – even with any losses that we have. We’ve got to just forget about them and stay focused on the wins.
We travelled to Sunderland to sit down with FA Cup Ballers of the Round, Eleanor Dale and Ellen Jones. Both Ellen and Eleanor both scored hatricks against Exeter City to ensure their side went through to the fifth round proper.
Sunderland take on Portsmouth on Sunday 9th Feb.
SAB: When the game was finally over what emotions did you feel?
Eleanor: Happy that we’d got through to the next round. It was a professional performance from the team. On paper, Exeter might look like a nice draw, but it always has the potential to be a ‘banana skin’ type of game, but we conducted ourselves really well.
Ellen: Buzzing to help the team and get through to the next of the cup.
SAB: What does playing in the FA Cup mean to you?
Eleanor: The FA Cup is a really special tournament, growing up watching it and seeing how much the Women’s FA Cup has advanced in the past couple of years. I sometimes imagine getting to the final and being able to play at Wembley – that would be amazing. It’s a great competition, giving ourselves the chance to play against better teams and better opposition.
Ellen: It’s a prestigious tournament that I look forward to each year and it’s another opportunity to showcase myself and us as a team.
SAB: What was your favourite moment from the game?
Eleanor: Building up confidence! Our first attack, we scored and then I scored two goals in quick concession. As a striker, with the first game back after Christmas, getting the ball in the back of the net and having a real feel for that was amazing.
Ellen: It’s got to be scoring my third goal to complete my hat trick.
SAB: How did it feel scoring a hat-trick against Exeter?
Eleanor: It was great! As a striker you obviously want to score goals, so scoring a hat-trick’s nice and getting a match ball as memorabilia is a nice little thing to keep.
Ellen: It felt amazing. It’s my first professional hat trick, so I was buzzing.
SAB: How do you stay composed in big games? Any tips for young players for dealing with nerves?
Eleanor: Once you step on the pitch, just knowing that is all that matters in that moment. Nerves are okay – I get nervous before every game and that just shows that I care. So being able to control that and, once you step over that white line, all that matters is however long you’ve got to play.
Ellen: To focus on the basics and I’ll just keep in mind what I have to do to help out the team and that helps me.
SAB: What would be your dream opposition to face in the cup?
Eleanor: Any big team, like Chelsea, Manchester United, Arsenal. Just playing against world-class players and being able to challenge ourselves.
Ellen: I’d probably say Man City at home because it was the team I made my first professional start against, so I’d want to play them in the FA Cup.
SAB: What is the hardest thing about being a footballer that people don’t see on the outside?
Eleanor: It is our job, it’s a constant whereas, when you’re playing at a lower level for an RTC or grassroots you can switch off from it because you do it as a hobby.
Now it’s our everyday life and you have to deal with a lot of emotional, as well as physical things in football. You can be physically tired from the game at the weekend but also emotionally it’s really hard to deal with if you’ve had an injury or you haven’t played well at the weekend.
Ellen: Probably that outside of training, as in, you have to balance everything – recovery, nutrition, gym.
SAB: If you could change one thing about the women’s game what would it be and why?
Eleanor: The women’s game has come a long way, but I would say more investment in facilities and coaching staff. Ultimately, that’s what’s going to keep the women’s game progressing.
Ellen: I’d change the number of teams that increase the sizes of the league, so that we can play more games every season.
SAB: How does it feel to be baller of the round?
Eleanor: It’s a great feeling, I just wanted to help my team out, and to get this accolade to go with it.
Ellen: It feels unreal – it’s a great personal achievement.
SAB: How far do you think Sunderland can go this season?
Eleanor: We have had a good run in the FA Cup and we’ve got Portsmouth coming up, so I think that we can get a good result out of that game and hopefully keep progressing.
Ultimately, it’s up to us what we want to achieve. Defensively we’ve been more solid in the last couple of games, so if we can keep being solid and also keep being clinical and have good quality on the attack then there’s no reason why we can’t get promoted!
Ellen: We’ve shown that we are capable of going as far as we possibly can. We’ve got a good team and I think we can go for promotion, which is our aim.
Manchester United goalkeeper Safia Middleton-Patel made her autism diagnosis public in September 2023 via Instagram, but her journey to that point had been challenging.
Speaking to She’s A Baller, Safia recalled how she felt she had been dropped and singled out by former clubs because of her diagnosis, with one coach accusing her of “faking autism” which led to unease with her teammates.
At another club, the 20-year-old felt she had been dropped because it was easier to release her than try to understand the way she works.
“It just made me question everything, every conversation I’ve ever had with them and what I did wrong for being me, as if I didn’t feel like an outsider enough,” Middleton-Patel said.
“At the time, I was highly ‘masking’ (hiding certain behaviours) and I wasn’t very good at that to start with because I was clearly not fitting in. But I look back at it now, and it’s me at the end of the day. It’s who I am, so if they don’t like it, I’ll move on.”
Autism is a neurological and developmental condition that exists on a spectrum and affects how people communicate, interact, learn and behave. It presents differently for everyone but can impact social interaction, create heightened anxiety and cause difficulty understanding how others think and feel.
While it is estimated there are 700,000 people living with autism in the UK, it remains highly stigmatised in society and in sport more specifically, leading to a lack of understanding of how to support autistic athletes.
“It’s a very taboo subject, and there needs to be more visibility. I just never want anyone to feel as alone in the world,” says Safia.
“It’s a subject that clubs shy away from because they don’t know how to deal with it.”
Safia, who was born to an Indian father and Welsh mother, received her first call up to the Wales international team in 2023 for the Women’s World Cup qualifiers against Greece and Slovenia.
But she didn’t get a formal diagnosis until she was 18 and she explained the difficulty in always feeling different from her peers.
“At secondary school, I struggled to socialise and I felt I was always following this social script,” she recalls.
“After football games, I’d be drained because all the prep and the day took so much energy out of me. I just thought, ‘Does everyone feel like this?’”
The realisation, then, was gradual but Safia was spurred into seeking a diagnosis at a time she should have been celebrating personal triumphs. In the same week she had made her Championship debut with Coventry United and she then went on to make her senior Wales debut.
“For many people, that would have been the best week of their life, but for me, it was the worst.”
“I couldn’t deal with the emotions of the week. I had a massive breakdown, and I remember sitting on the end of my bed saying to my mum, ‘I need help. I don’t think I can do this much longer.’
In many ways, obtaining that diagnosis was a triumph. It can provide clarity and access to help, but it takes courage to seek out a formal diagnosis, especially for women and girls, where it can often be missed or misdiagnosed.
“I felt a lot of sadness and grief for the life I could have had if I wasn’t autistic. I remember questioning all the friendships that I’d built and who I was.”
Since then, Safia has been able to recognise her own symptoms and implement adaptations that mean she can fully realise her potential on the pitch.
But football, like many professions, retains norms that present barriers for many autistic people.
Having had five different loan spells during her time with United, Safia is all too aware that change remains an integral expectation of all footballers.
“It’s something that horrifies me, I am so scared of change,” she says. “Going to Watford last year I was settled in perfectly with the club, but I would go home, and I would just cry and cry and cry because I hated how I felt.
“I couldn’t control anything because I didn’t have my set routine. Even driving on the roads, I would have routines where I can take a drink at certain traffic lights or on certain roads I can turn the music up louder.
“I look back at it now and think that loss of routine is so detrimental to my health.”
Yet football has provided Safia with a rare space to be comfortably challenged.
“Football has provided that sense of routine and structure in my life that I need, but it’s also pushing me out of my comfort zone,” she says.
“One of the main roles for me is communicating and, at times, I need to give feedback in a way that sometimes I don’t even know how to do myself by changing the tone of voice.
“If I’m on a pitch and someone has changed their tone of voice [I have to learn] not take it to heart because I think into it too much.
“Being put in this high-pressure sporting environment can be so challenging if things go wrong. It’s something in football more people need to understand.”
Thankfully, at United, the Wales international has found a community where support is always forthcoming.
“I’m so grateful for our goalkeeping coach [Ian Willcock] because he’s embraced me with open arms. He’s got to know me on a person-first level and made me feel valued as an individual,” she says.
In the ‘Lego Club’, with Jess Simpson, Leah Galton and Rachel Williams, she has also found a group who have her back “no matter what”.
It is an environment that has allowed Safia to be herself and become the backup goalkeeper to Phallon Tullis-Joyce. Safia made her debut with United last week.
“Getting to train day in day out with Phal is inspiring. It’s really exciting to keep pushing her on. Personally, I’m ready to take my opportunity when it comes, and I just want to fulfil my potential.”
Looking back on it all, Safia emphasises that it does get better because sometimes it’s the little triumphs that can make you smile the most.
“One day, it can feel like everything’s crashing down on you, and the next day, I’m loving life because I’ve just found a Lego figure in a cupboard that I didn’t know I had,” she laughs.
We travelled to Ipswich to sit down with the second FA Cup Baller of the Round, goalkeeper Natalia Negri. After drawing 2-2, 20-year-old Natalia saved two penalties as her side faced Hashtag United in the second round proper of the FA Cup.
SAB: When the second round-proper game was finally over, what emotions did you feel?
Natalia Negri: I was so happy when the game was over. I mean, it was a game of two halves It was very back and forth, but it was a great game to be part of.
I was buzzing with the win and I was buzzing that the girls managed to get through to the next round.
SAB: What was going through your head when you made two saves in the penalty shootout?
Natalia: Well, I’d never actually made saves in a penalty shoot-out before. I’ve never been involved in a competitive one, so it was probably just as much a surprise to me as everyone else. But no, I was so happy that I managed to help the girls get through to the next round.
SAB: What does playing in the FA Cup mean to you?
Natalia: It’s a massive cup. It’s one of the most prestigious cups in football. Everyone wants to be part of it and everyone wants to get as far as they possibly can. It means a lot to be part of it and to do it with a club like Ipswich, is something I’m very grateful for.
SAB: What was your favourite moment from the game?
Natalia: You’d probably think my favourite moment from the game would be saving the penalties, but it was actually Sophie Peskett’s equaliser in the last minute.
That was absolutely unbelievable. My manager showed me a video of me running around the box celebrating.
SAB: How do you stay composed in big games and do you have any tips to young players for dealing with nerves?
Natalia: My mum actually said to me, ‘Turn nerves into excitement’, so that’s what I go into games thinking. I always used to get really nervous for games and now I just turn into excitement and I feel like I enjoy myself more. That’s a great way to settle nerves, especially for young players coming through. It’s such a tough position mentally.
SAB: What would be your dream opposition to face in the cup?
Natalia: We actually had this debate the other day at training and I would love to have a top six club in the WSL away at their place at a big ground. But honestly, I would have anyone in the next round as long as it’s a good performance and a good game for us.
SAB: How important do you think it is for teams like Ipswich to be getting exposure and media coverage in the early rounds of the Cup?
Natalia: It’s massive. With the men going up into the Premier League, the club has become so huge. For us as well, we want to have the same platform for the women’s team and the way that we’re going in the league, we’re definitely showing that we can do that. So as much coverage as we can possibly get is great!
SAB: What is your favourite thing about being a goalkeeper?
Natalia: My favourite thing about being a goalkeeper is probably the fact that you could go from doing nothing in a game to possibly being the hero and saving everyone. It’s a great feeling when you help the team not concede goals.
It makes you feel like you’ve played a real part of the game. And yeah, I just love for throwing about. You’ve got to be a bit crazy to be a goalkeeper and I’ve got a bit of that in me.
SAB: What is your favourite footballing memory?
Natalia: Probably warming-up on the pitch with Arsenal, when I was a youngster. I was probably only 17, but I got to go with the first team to the Emirates and warm-up with them. I’m actually a big Arsenal fan so that was a really great time for me and my family. Especially my dad who is a massive Arsenal fan!
SAB: What is the hardest thing about being a footballer that people on the outside don’t see?
Natalia: Ohh I’ve never been asked that ever! The hardest thing would be just coming in everyday, training, keeping yourself to yourself, your head down and not letting outside noise get to you.
I think people don’t really realize the work that you have to put in and I think everyone sees the good parts of football, but there’s a lot of tough parts as well.
Obviously injuries, losing games, winning games, everything is just staying in your own lane!
SAB: If you could change one thing about the women’s game, what would it be and why?
Natalia: I would rather more teams in each league. It’s quite a short season as it is and the more team in each league, it would make it more competitive.
SAB: How does it feel to be Baller of the Round?
Natalia: I’m so happy to be Baller of the Round. I’ve never really won an award like this before, so it’s obviously a proud moment for me and my family as well and I’m just happy to share it with the girls.
SAB: How far do you think Ipswich can go this season?
Natalia: It’s a hard one to say because you don’t want to speak too soon, but I have every confidence that the girls go on and do something amazing this season.
With the togetherness that we have, we definitely want to achieve something special! It’s early on, but I reckon we can achieve great things.
We travelled to South Shields to sit down with the first FA Cup Baller of the Round, Ashley Townsend. Townsend was pivotal in their win against Halifax (who sit two tiers above) in the first round proper, scoring two goals, earning herself Player of the Match.
SAB: What emotions did you feel when the penalty went in and you reached the second-round proper for the first time?
Ashley Townsend: It was one of the greatest memories that I’ve had, playing football. Just all the excitement within myself, but also the whole team. We all jumped all over each other – it was one of the greatest feelings ever.
SAB: What was your favourite moment from the game?
Townsend: It was obviously really fun to score those two goals within the run of play, but after that final penalty score, just that feeling of advancing for the first time in club history.
SAB: How did you celebrate the win as a team?
Townsend: We just danced around and everyone was hyped for the whole week. Everyone was just on like Cloud 9 – it was a great feeling.
SAB: What does playing in the FA Cup mean to you?
Townsend: It’s such a cool experience. It’s something that I’ve witnessed from being in America but being able to be here and be a part of it, it’s so different than anything I’ve been able to play in.
SAB: How important is it for teams like South Shields to have exposure and coverage by the media in the earlier rounds?
Townsend: It shows the beauty of the FA Cup right. The little teams can make it to high levels and it’s part of that drive and you want to climb the ladder.
SAB: How do you stay composed in big games? Any tips for younger players?
Townsend: For big games, I honestly find myself being able to just be locked in and it’s just a great opportunity to prove to yourself and others, what value you can bring to a football game.
SAB: What’s your favorite footballing memory?
Townsend: It’s gotta be winning that first round proper. That was the most fun I’ve ever had in a match.
SAB: Who comes to watch your games? Who are your biggest supporters?
Townsend: My biggest supporters are my mum and dad. They travel hundreds and thousands of miles to watch me play. Ever since I was little, they’ve been my number one fans.
SAB: You’re the first FA Cup Baller of the Round – how does that feel?
Townsend: It’s such an honor and I’m so grateful for that. It wasn’t just all me. I’ve got teammates and coaches and family who have all supported me.
God has given me the talents to be here and the opportunities. I’m just so grateful for all the support that I’ve received.
SAB: What’s the hardest thing about being a footballer, that people on the outside might not see?
Townsend: The higher up you go, people don’t always believe in you. And so you got to continue to believe in yourself. And then when you do have those people who believe in you, you’ve got to hold tight to them and keep climbing the ladder and fighting for what you want.
SAB: If could change one thing about the women’s game, what would it be and why?
Townsend: The women’s game has grown tremendously in the past decade but continuing to bring awareness to it and having it promoted to be equal to the men’s game and bring equal opportunities to women.
Football is not a passion of just men. Girls want to play their whole lives so creating more and more opportunities for them.
SAB: Liverpool Feds in the next round – how do you think you’re going to do?
Townsend: That’s a great draw for us – getting a home draw. If the whole team come locked in, we’ve got a great shot at advancing and making an even greater run in history for the club.
SAB: What’s your favorite pre and post-match snack?
Townsend: My favorite pre match snack is a peanut butter sandwich and post-match is a chocolate milk.
SAB: Who would be your dream FA Cup opponent?
Townsend: Man City – it would be so cool to play against a big club like that.
“I just thought, ‘This how it ends’” Everton goalkeeper Rylee Foster says reflecting on the moment she woke up from a car crash which would bring her football career to a halt and leave her fighting for her life.
The now 26-year-old had been thrown through a car windshield while on holiday in October 2021 with friends in Finland. She broke her neck in seven places as well as her lower back, damaged her knee and shoulder and suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI).
After an arduous two-year recovery, during which time Foster would, at points, be unable to even blink, and a stint with the A-League’s Wellington Phoenix in 2023, she is set to make her return to English top-flight football with a point to prove, this time on the blue side of Merseyside.
Just three days before the crash Foster had played her last game in England. She made a game-winning save as Liverpool defeated Aston Villa on penalties in the League Cup.
“I was on an ultimate high. I saved a penalty kick, I was a superhero. When you leave a game feeling like that, it’s really hard to come down and be humbled,” she recalls.
It would later transpire that Foster had played the entire match with a broken wrist, only discovered in the aftermath of the crash. It betrays a resilience that was part of her long before the accident.
Since signing her first professional contract with Liverpool in January 2020, her career was on the rise. Foster made her Liverpool debut in a 3-0 win over Manchester United nine months before receiving her first call-up to the Canada Women’s National team in February 2021.
While she narrowly missed out on selection for their gold medal-winning 2020 Olympic squad, a role as the first-choice goalkeeper in the WSL were beginning to look very attainable. That was until one car journey turned her life upside down.
“The accident happened and I wasn’t conscious. You contemplate death or just exiting life in the in-between stage. I was wondering if I was alive still, if I was dreaming,” the Foster says.
“I couldn’t move my legs, and I couldn’t feel things. I just thought, ‘I’m done.’ [When I woke up] the pain that washed over me was insane. It was like the adrenaline just wore off instantly.
“That’s when I realised, ‘Oh my gosh, I’ve got to fight for my life here rather than my career.’”
Over the coming days, Foster would have to grapple with a complete shift in her living reality, as she went from being an elite athlete to losing all her independence.
“You identify as a football player, that’s all I’ve known my entire life. But there’s a part of me that’s also very self-sustainable. I’ve always handled things on my own,” she explains.
“You’re stripped of the ability to feed yourself properly, use the toilet like a normal human being, bathe yourself, get clothes on by yourself, go to the shops for yourself, because if I slipped the wrong way, I would be dead instantly.”
Foster would have to rely on her sister, who had paused her education at the age of 20 to support the then Liverpool goalkeeper during her recovery. While crucial once more, the support of family had already left a lasting impact on Foster.
Her mother has profound hearing loss, while Foster herself is deaf in both ears and uses hearing aids. Watching her mum fight to overcome the barriers of an inaccessible world instilled a drive from a young age.
“She was a server and worked the night shifts because my dad had to work the day, and we couldn’t afford childcare at that time. She came back exhausted and mentally drained. But she would go again and again,” Foster recalls.
“You can’t control what happens to you in life, but you can control how you react to it. From day dot, I watched my mom react in the most positive way. That’s where I would say my resilience comes from.”
It is a resilience Foster would test to its limits over the coming two years. After emergency surgery back in Liverpool, she had to wear a halo device for five months following the accident, with a further five months in a neck brace.
It wouldn’t be until July 2022, ten months after the accident, that she would be able to start rehabbing. Even then, her goals were not fixed. There would be no estimated return date, instead targets like walking were prefixed with “maybe”.
“I just kept on going. That’s all I knew how to do. I couldn’t do a squat at one point. I’d lost everything,” remembers Foster.
“I used to look at my legs and see no muscle, I would be devastated. So, when I started to see definition in my muscle, I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, this is so exciting.’
“Then it got to running on the [anti-gravity treadmill]. It was so invigorating. Those moments were showing me independence in my life, getting control over my life again.”
As if that was not enough for one person to face, the subdural haematoma Foster had suffered during the crash meant she was simultaneously forced to rehab a TBI.
“I would go to physio some days and show up with a migraine that felt like my eyeballs were going to pop out my sockets,” she says, adding to a slew of debilitating symptoms including nausea, light sensitivity, short-term memory loss and being unable to hold a conversation.
Foster was encouraged to do puzzles to challenge her brain. Yet, she would soon upgrade her sudokus and wordsearches into the Law School Admission Test (LSAT).
The exam offered more than a rehab exercise – she excelled. Not only did she pass the three-hour exam, but she also scored in the top 15% of her testing group. It gave Foster a rare security in life after her career and restored a sense of purpose.
But while, at points, she doubted if she would ever return, once she finally got back on the training pitch in February 2023 there was no doubt she belonged between the sticks.
That was until Liverpool opted not to extend her contract in May 2023, leaving her as a free agent and in search of a new club, while still recovering from a final shoulder operation related to the accident.
“My world came crashing down on me. No one wants a broken athlete. I was really scared. I felt so defeated and deflated. That was one of the mentally hardest parts of my journey,” she reflects.
The Canadian would spend three weeks on trial at Celtic where she felt “used” as the only fit keeper, only to be released before the opening day of the season. It was then that she received a lifeline from Wellington Phoenix and flew to the other side of the world to restart her career.
“That was a moment that I think will define my career. [I had] so many setbacks in one year. Then I said, ‘I’m fearless, I’m taking control.’ I knew I would make something out of it,” says Foster.
Duly, 731 days on from the car accident, Foster would play her first professional game back.
“After the final whistle blew, I had a breakdown. I was crying so much. It was just that pride and that I had gone through so much to get to that point.”
Recovery remains an enduring process for the goalkeeper who signed a short-term deal with Everton this summer. The intensity of the past three years has only recently afforded Foster time to process the ordeal herself.
“I had to fight to just heal and I couldn’t really put much energy into worrying about my emotions. I didn’t talk behind closed doors. My task was to survive,” she says.
“Three years down the line, I’m still jumping at a loud sound. I’m still car sick when I’m not driving. I can barely sit on a bus because I am ill, and we do long bus journeys.
“I wake up and any part of my body is sore. You’re constantly being reminded of something that you would absolutely love to run away from. But if I didn’t have pain, I wouldn’t be here.
“I bring the best version [of me] every day. But that’s exhausting because I’m suffering so much behind the scenes. It’s not a cry for help, I’m managing it.”
Now, Foster returns to the city where her professional journey began with a point to prove in the WSL. Hers is a resolve embodied by the people of Merseyside, where her debut will be celebrated by both reds and blues alike.
“Liverpool ignited a spark in me and the fire grew bigger and bigger. I’ve been told that I represent the city. The people, the culture, that hardworking lifestyle, that ‘never give up’ mentality, and both clubs embody that,” she says.
“My debut will be a very proud moment for my family and me. I hope that the fans are just as excited because they played such an important role. Now I get to come back and play professional football with them. That is the best payday ever.”
We sat down with Arsenal and Lionesses legend Alex Scott to understand more about her career post-playing, how she transitioned into life as a pundit and how she spends her summers now…
SAB: Biggest challenge when you stepped away from professional football?
Alex: Definitely being away from that team environment. The team become like your family. You see them every day. Just the banter that you have and the ups and downs you go through as a team. I definitely missed that.
SAB: What’s been the best bit about retiring?
Alex: That I can go out and not worry about being up for training! I can go to some festivals in the summer now. It’s just the sacrifices that you have to give up for training and games. I love the leeway I have now.
SAB: What is something people may not realise about retirement?
Alex: The come down of it all. When that routine is taken away from you, it can be hard to try and find an identity when you’ve always been known as a footballer. Then stepping into something new can be scary and a lot of people might not experience what’s that like for athletes.
SAB: How did you find your passion after football?
Alex: I was lucky. I thought about my career whilst I was still in football. I was forward planning, instead of waiting for it to end. I’ve always loved conversation and wanted to elevate the women’s game.
I knew there was a space for me and it was always my passion and my purpose became getting into the media world to try and open doors for others. I had a mission and I wanted to go in that direction.
In @HungerMagazine’s latest issue, cover star Alex Scott opens up “evolution, authenticity, and planting seeds she may never see grow” ✨ pic.twitter.com/jeduSqGH2O
— BSME (@bsmeinfo) October 28, 2024
SAB: Can more be done to support ex-players?
Alex: Ex-players and athletes are starting to speak out more about wishing they had more education and opportunities whilst they were playing. People are starting to understand that and ex-players are having that voice and using that to say, ‘Look we can’t wait until the end of a player’s career before helping them’.
SAB: What are your passions?
Alex: Music has always been my passion. Any chance I get to go to live gigs, I do! Also festivals because I’ve always had tournaments in the summer so Glastonbury is still on my bucket list. I love theatre and also spending time with family and friends.
SAB: How do you maintain your fitness without football?
Alex: It’s tough out here, I tell you! Sometimes, I think I’m an athlete and then I pull a muscle which is my body reminding me that I’m not a player anymore! I do a lot of gym sessions and a lot of high-intensity workouts before I have to rush off and get to the studio.
SAB: What ‘ballers do you think are on the rise?
Alex: She’s already had a great season last year – Grace Clinton. But it’s just interesting going back to Manchester United in that environment, around a different set of players – can you do it again? With England, there are huge games coming up with the Lionesses so I want to see her keep shining.
SAB: Who was your favourite footballer growing up?
Alex: It was different times, but I always looked up to Ian Wright. I loved when he was playing. You could see how much he loved the game. Everything was a pinch-me moment and felt dream-like. He was never a, ‘Look at me, I’m that footballer’.
It was always reminded me, whether that was tournaments for Arsenal or with England, why I started and to always do it with a smile on my face.
SAB: Who is the toughest opponent that you’ve faced?
Alex: It’s questionable between Marta and Abby Wambach – totally different players! You’ve got that Brazilian flair and skill with Marta and you never knew what she was going to do. But then Abby just had that power and it was so hard to deal with, especially me being so short to be up against her, trying to win headers.
I’m going to go with Marta but it was always a challenge and I just loved it every time I went up against her.
SAB: Best memory on the pitch?
Alex: It’s easy to say the quadruple season – it went down in history. No one’s done that since in the women’s game. But also getting to play at Wembley with Arsenal in the FA Cup, lifting that trophy.
When I had that moment I knew I was ready to retire and move on to the next career. I cried like a baby lifting that trophy – it was such a special moment.
SAB: If you could trade shirts with anyone in history who would it be?
Alex: I was that player that never traded my shirts. I never wanted players to think I wanted their shirt so I was always like, ‘I respect you but I don’t need to trade shirts’. Now, I wish I’d have done it more.
I always loved and modelled my game off of Kafu, the right back – he was incredible. If I ever manage to get his shirt, I would definitely do that and frame it. I’ve met him a couple of times but the shirt swap has never happened.
SAB: Where do you see yourself in the next 5-10 years?
Alex: That’s tough. I think people are always rushing to get through the next few years. With my life, at the moment, it’s been so fast paced transitioning from football into punditry and I’ve not had much a time to sit and reflect and take it all in and be present.
For the next year, yes, I’ll be doing all I can to elevate the women’s game and open doors for others but I also need to take a moment and sit in the moment of being like, ‘You’ve not done too bad and just to enjoy what’s to come’.
SAB: Who would be in your ultimate 5-a-side team?
Alex: Emma Byrne in goal – an icon and ledge and never got the praise she deserved. We won the Champions League because of Emma. Two defenders – can I throw myself in there. Attackers – Formiga, Brazilian midfielder – you could never get the ball off of her and so much flair. I’ve got to throw Marta in there.
One more….wait can I go all out attack. Can I throw Lauren James in there? We can smash goals in and I can just sweep up at the back with Emma.
SAB: What advice do you have for young ballers?
Alex: My piece of advice: there are going to be many ups and downs but in the down moments, they’re the moments that will make you stronger and that you’ll learn the most lessons. It will all be worth it in the end with your hard work.
Watch the full interview here:
In the first three weekends of the current WSL season, there were three anterior cruciate (ACL) injuries announced by clubs across the league, each on a different weekend: first Everton’s Aurora Galli, and then Everton’s Inma Gabarro, followed most recently by Liverpool midfielder Sofie Lundgaard.
Lundgaard was ruled out with the injury after their match against Tottenham Hotspur, adding to a list of twelve players (including Chelsea’s Sophie Ingle, West Ham’s Jess Ziu and Crystal Palace loanee Jorja Fox) currently ruled out through ACL injuries in the WSL.
This time last year 18-year-old Manchester United midfielder Emma Watson was one of those confined to the sidelines after rupturing her ACL on international duty in September 2023, just a month after signing for the club.
“When it first happened, I knew I’d done something to my knee, but my initial thought wasn’t ACL. My initial thought was, ‘Oh my God, I can’t play tomorrow night,’” the Watson tells She’s A Baller.
“Later that night, I found out that I’d completely ruptured my ACL, along with some other problems in my knee. For the next two hours, after hearing that information, I just completely shut down. I couldn’t speak, I couldn’t talk. I was crying.”
The term ‘ACL’ refers to a band of tissue connecting the thigh bone to the shin bone. It runs diagonally through the inside of the knee to provide stability. A tear to this ligament often requires surgery with recovery taking up to 12 months.
The spike in incidents has motivated Watson to document her own journey to recovery on social media with the hopes that those who follow feel less alone.
“It’s really important to raise awareness of ACL injuries and give an insight into the recovery process that we go through every day, like our feelings. I hope that it can help the next young girl, the next player that then goes through that injury,” she explained.
“I went into it a bit blind and not too sure how hard it was really going to be, how much pain I was going to be in, what the challenges were going to be. I’d seen girls go through this process, but they’re in the gym doing their work while I’m on the pitch training.
Media interest and pledges for more research did increase during a spate of high-profile injuries, including Spanish Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas, Arsenal forward Beth Mead and Manchester City forward Vivianne Miedema in 2022.
While initial outrage seems to have dissipated, the injuries have not stopped. Instead of the shock factor that surrounded the aforementioned instances, the mood seems to be an increasing resignation to next the inevitable announcement.
The issue is not confined to England’s top tier as just last Wednesday, the NWSL’s Washington Spirit announced Andi Sullivan had suffered an ACL, while the Championship’s Blackburn Rovers made an identical announcement about Grace Riglar two days later.
The prevalence of the injury meant for Watson, it was a very real fear even before she had experienced it herself.
“For myself, it was always a fear of mine. I played with people that had gone through the injury. In the back of my head, I had this feeling, this fear that it might happen to me,” she says.
However, the “silver lining” appeared in the bonding opportunity it provided with the United teammates she rehabbed with, 27-year-old defender Gabby George and 19-year-old defender Jess Simpson.
“I don’t think I could have gotten through it without them. Our relationships have grown a lot closer because we’ve seen the good days., we’ve seen the bad days and we’ve seen the in-between. There’s just this special bond that we have now,” Watson reflects.
“It’s terrible that they had to also go through that injury, but we’d always lift each other up. If people were feeling a bit down that day, there were always people I could talk to.”
The latest spate of ACL injuries comes amid increasing criticism of a packed schedule with Miedema and former Arsenal manager Jonas Eidevall both separately speaking out. Arsenal will play five games in 15 days during October.
It is part of a broader overload in women’s football that has seen a major international tournament every summer since 2020 if you include the Olympics, with little let up as Euro 2025 approaches.
“We don’t know the main cause of an ACL injury. There’s talk about it being the menstrual cycle. There’s talk about it being overload. Sometimes it just happens in a tackle and you can’t do anything about it,” says Watson.
“I think it’s about prevention. What can we do as players, clubs and individuals to help prevent this injury? Warming up properly, doing strength exercises, balancing work, and just doing everything we can to prevent these injuries from happening.”
For now, prevention may well be the only way forward before long-term research can even begin to provide answers to answer the inevitable why. Most importantly, player welfare must be prioritised so weekly announcements do not become an accepted part of the game.
Welcome to She’s A Baller ‘Point of View’. This SAB original series sees us speak with the most iconic heroes and names in the women’s football space.
We’re doing things differently. We love goals and saves but this series explores the real people behind the player. What makes them tick, what are their biggest fears, where do they see themselves in ten years time and how do they really feel about some of the most controversial moments in recent women’s football history…
In our first Point of View episode, we sat down with a World Best. A player who has achieved monumental mainstream status, known for her advocacy, beautifully honest views and fearless personality.
Of course, it’s Mary Earps.
SAB: Can you tell us about where your from and your childhood growing up?
Mary Earps: That’s a big question to start! I’m from Nottingham originally – born and bred. My childhood was pretty steady. I’ve got a younger brother and sister. I played a lot of football with my brother and dad growing up.
I spent most of my childhood in the garden or at the pitches at Alfred Road, which was around the corner from where I lived. It was just school, homework, football on repeat.
SAB: What was your relationship like with your parents and siblings – are you close?
Earps: My family have seen where I’ve been and where I’ve come from and have watched my football journey from the beginning to now.
I definitely wouldn’t be in the position I am today if it wasn’t for my parents driving me here, there and everywhere, to Leicester and back, and all the way around the country really for my football. Definitely my brother and my dad were a big part of my football journey growing up.
SAB: How often do you get to see them now?
Earps: Not too much! Obviously I live in Paris now. It’s tough to get home and that’s one of the sacrifices of being a footballer – you don’t really have too much of a life – it’s very full on. I get home as much as I can but it’s not as much as I would like.
SAB: Who were your biggest role models growing up?
Earps: My family were a big part of the values instilled in me. Football wise – I loved watching football and studying different types of goalkeepers. I liked that there was no right way to do things.
You’d watch the Premier League every weekend and have Tottenham Hotspurs’ Hugo Lloris doing it one way, Bayern Munich’s Manuel Neuer and then Italy’s Gianluigi Buffon doing it completely differently.
SAB: Do you think goalkeeping has changed – has it become a more demanding position?
Earps: It’s changed massively since I was a kid. There’s lots of elements to it now. A big focus is distribution and playing out from the back – that’s probably due to Ederson and Manchester City’s way of playing.
That’s the beauty of goalkeeping – everyone does it a different way and has different strengths and different ways of imposing themselves on a game. I love watching the differences across the men’s and women’s game – there’s no real textbook on it. The beauty is the uniqueness.
SAB: What is the ‘Mary Earps’ style of goalkeeping?
Earps: Super passionate. I try and do whatever I can to help the team. I put my body on the line. I’m a big communicator and organiser.
I’d like people to think I play with courage and bravery and a lot of heart.
SAB: The fans love your passion and energy. They’ve gone as far as to call you ‘Sweary Earps’. How important is it to you to be able to show your personality on the pitch?
Earps: It’s important for me to be unapologetically myself and be authentically who I am. Growing up, maybe I was scared to be vulnerable or to show who I was and I tried to fit in.
I am what I am. That’s why I have a good relationship with the fans – they see me as just being a goof ball or being sad or happy. I don’t try and fake it. I’m just really grateful to have the support of incredible fans and people and long may that continue.
SAB: Advocacy has been a big part of your career – how important has this been to you?
Earps: It’s important. I try and lead by example. But, to be honest, it’s a tough role to play. It’s a fine line between voicing your opinion and standing up for what you believe in. Especially when you’ve got a platform and a voice that can be heard, you want to try and represent people in the right way.
I always want to use my voice for good and not evil or selfish reasons, but for the good of the future generations. But you can be viewed as too vocal or a trouble maker or always complaining about something.
You have to be secure in what you’re fighting for and secure in who you are as a person. With being vocal, there comes with quite a lot of criticism, but I hope that people see what I try and do and see that I’m trying to create positive change.
I hope that the future generations of young footballers will feel the benefit of that.
SAB: When you’ve stuck your head above the parapet, have you ever felt nervous about the consequences?
Earps: Yes for sure sure – you don’t know what the outcome is going to be. The reality is that, if you put your neck on the line and people chop it off at the block, it’s not a great feeling. That’s always the risk of being prepared to stand up for something – sometimes you might need to do that alone.
And people don’t see a lot of the things that go on behind the scenes. There’s normally a lot of preparation work or a lot of quiet conversations going on before the big, loud conversations happen.
Of course it can be tough. It can also take a lot of energy because you’re spending a lot of time trying to articulate yourself in a certain way or speaking to people you trust.
It’s not as simple as it looks but as long as I can create positive change, then I hope I can brave enough to continue to do all those things.
SAB: How do you cope in those moments and where does your support network fit into that?
Earps: It’s about relying on the people around you and being able to talk to people openly. I struggled for a long time to be able to open up and be vulnerable. I saw it as a weakness for the longest time but now I feel much more comfortable now sharing concerns or anxieties I may have.
I have incredible people in my life who give me a balanced opinion and will tell me to shut up when I’m not talking about anything important. But they will also lift me up if I need it and advise me and give me the courage to do the things I have.
SAB: What’s the one thing you’d change about the women’s football industry?
Earps: That’s a tough one.
SAB: Ok, we’ll give you multiple choices…
Earps: The game is in a really good place if you compare it to where it was 10 years ago. There’s been a lot of significant change but, in all honesty, everyone associated with the women’s game can appreciate the progression, but also that there’s a long way to go and also a lot of battles and wins to be had.
Sometimes, social media makes it look like it’s all sunshine and rainbows and roses but it’s not like that. There’s a lot of fantastic things about the game. I love what I do and the fact that I get to do this for a job – I never pictured I’d be able to do this for the longest time.
It’s taken me all over the world, to incredible places to meet incredible people. But there’s still plenty of change to be made. Over the next couple of years I’d like to see the game being produced on TV better than what it currently is.
I would love to see replays, cameras with better quality, more camera angles. I had a conversation a couple years ago about the difference between the amount of cameras in a Premier League game and the amounts used in a WSL game. I can’t remember exact numbers but it was multiples.
For me, one of the beautiful things about the men’s game, is that it’s a constant source of debate and discussion. I don’t think we can have those levels of discussions in the women’s game.
For example, in a situation where goal line technology isn’t being used, how do we tell if the ball is over the line or not? If you’re watching Match of the Day, there would be different levels of analysis available – being able to judge the speed of the ball or using animations to show you multiple versions of one moment in time and we don’t have that in women’s football.
There’s an element of investment and profit margins which I get, but it doesn’t allow for accurate discussions and debates. So what happens is that whoever is there at the game, their opinion gets imitated by lots of other people.
When you watch men’s football pundits going at it (and sometimes giving verbal assassinations), it’s fun and entertaining, but in women’s football we can’t see the game in the same way yet.
SAB: You’re the face of a major bread brand, an ambassador for an international lingerie brand. You’re in Madame Tussauds – how does it feel being such a house hold name?
It’s a surreal feeling – I definitely never grew up expecting this or wanting this. My biggest dream was to represent my country at a major tournament and be lucky enough to win a few trophies. I used to write stories as a kid – and my mum probably still has them somewhere – of me playing at a World Cup. I was so grateful I was able to fulfil that dream last year.
I don’t think too much about the rest of it. I’m grateful to have that connection with people and to hear their stories and that maybe the Lionesses or my goalkeeping journey has inspired them in some way.
Hearing people getting back into football after they fell out of love with it for a long time ago or being able to speak about their journey with their own health issues, anxiety and worries – I’m grateful that I can be a small part of that in some way.
SAB: As fans become more interested in players’ lives, do you ever feel that it’s becoming more difficult to remain your privacy and keep a private life?
Earps: Yes, the game has changed a lot in the last couple of years -really dramatically. This was never a topic a couple of years ago. We went from playing in front of 50-100 people and to now playing in front of 60-80,000 people regularly.
But with that, and it becoming more well known spoken about – which is what we’ve been fighting for – comes things we never anticipated. It’s hard being in the public eye, trying to have your own space, time and private life.
I understand the eagerness to interact with players – I enjoy interacting with fans, but sometimes it’s difficult to have that boundary between Mary Earps the footballer and just Mary who is just chilling or going to the shops.
I understand it from a clubs point of view. For me as a player, I want to give fans as much time as I possibly can. I enjoy that interaction and super grateful they come to the game and I want to show that appreciation. But it’s impossible to get round to everybody.
I’ve definitely had instances where I’ve been criticised. You sign a few hundred autographs, but the hundred and first person is unhappy and that’s always difficult. I’ve had instances of people banging on car windows or trying to grab you in moments….physical touch is always a difficult one. As much as you try and give as much energy as you can back, sometimes it feels like it’s not enough.
Manchester City did an ‘autograph alley’ which was an interesting concept. When I spoke to the City players, they seemed to really like that approach and it achieved a good balance. It’s hard to manage the frustration fans sometimes feel but also recognising that the football comes first – hopefully they feel happy with the product they see.
SAB: Let’s discuss the move from Manchester United to PSG – can you talk to us about your experiences at United?
Earps: I was at United for five years and I’ve been fortunate to have lots of incredible memories there. Playing in the UEFA Women’s Champions League, winning the FA Cup last season. I developed a lot as a player and person there. I met some incredible people who I will stay friends with forever.
Sometimes you need a change and I felt moving to PSG was the best thing for me. I hope it will bring another level out of me as a player. That’s what it came down to in the end.
SAB: Why PSG out of all the other clubs that may have shown interest in signing you?
Earps: I heard the vision and ambition of PSG. We had a presentation where they outlined that they want to be the best team in the world on and off the pitch. That really excites me – that’s where I want to be.
It’s a super talented team. I’m excited to be a part of it with players who are really going to challenge me every day, whilst it is also a different language, culture, training environment.
I have this thing in my head where I want to be pushed to my absolute maximum and I don’t want to leave anything on the table. I don’t want to ever look back and think, ‘Oh if I only I was brave enough’ or ‘If I’d only got another 1% out of myself’. I want to max out on all the percentages I’ve got in my locker before it’s time to call time – the careers go quick and they’re short.
SAB: How are you adjusting to life in France – can you give us an update?
Earps: Where do I event start! Summer was a rollercoaster. I was in France for 3 weeks and then headed to Australia for 10 days!
It’s so difficult with the language but hopefully I’ll learn and get better. I’m making a lot of effort – the girls will vouch for me!
It’s been nice to have the girls back from the Olympics, to bond as a team and get some minutes on the pitch. It’s a tough adjustment. As much as I’d like to sit here and tell you how great it is, which I’m really enjoying, there’s a lot to think about and a lot of change.
SAB: What’s been the biggest change?
Earps: Things are run very differently. When you’ve been somewhere for five years, you know everything – where to be, what the club are building, where the parking is meeting times, when to weigh-in!
It’s just a whole load of information at once and trying to remember it all, as well as trying to set up a bank account, get a social security number, residency pass, set-up wifi and finding an apartment whilst you don’t speak the language – it’s been interesting…
As soon as you feel settled off the pitch, you feel settled on the pitch and you can perform better. They really do link. It’s been a whirlwind!
SAB: What do you do with your spare time in Paris?
Earp: It’s very ‘Emily in Paris!’ No, I’ve only had one day off in Paris so far and it consisted of rest, sleeping, recovery and not a lot else. Also, errands and the supermarket.
The first week or so, I spent a lot of time, trying to find out where to live, apartment hunting, driving around. Not quite as romantic as cycling around with baguettes in the basket yet, but maybe when I’ve got some downtime!
SAB: Do you still keep in contact with a lot of the MU players?
Earps: Yes, I’ve spoken to Tooney recently and my goalkeeper coach at United. He’s been getting Mary Earps podcasts – which are 8-9 minute voice notes. My teammates don’t enjoy these but my former coach puts up with them.
Voicenotes is how I’ve been keeping up with people, especially when I was in Australia with the time difference.
SAB: We’ve all seen the issues this summer around Blackburn and Reading. Do you think there is a misconception amongst mainstream media that women’s football is in a better space than it actually is?
Earps : Definitely. Sometimes the women’s game is described as being in a good place but the reality is that that might only apply to a few clubs. Some clubs are still struggling.
The Reading story was especially devastating as an ex-player and I coached there for a little while. You feel really helpless. I knew a few players and staff members that were still there. It’s gutting to hear clubs going through that – it’s the ugly side of the business. Men’s clubs also experience these kind of things – bankruptcy for example.
But in women’s football, it just hits home a little bit more. It could be you or your teammates going through that. But there’s also a lot on the line as a female player, because the lifestyles and salaries aren’t the same. It’s their whole livelihood, the opportunities are fewer and maybe you can’t travel to other clubs.
The game is going in a great direction but let’s not forget, there’s still a lot of work to do in making the game sustainable at all levels and not just focusing on one league at the top. How can we focus on lower leagues and grassroots – that’s where a lot of people come from and learn their craft. Without those leagues you wouldn’t have the top leagues so it’s really important we focus on the whole ecosystem.
SAB: Bit of a quick-fire now. Who is the most difficult player you’ve ever played against?
Earps: Former Germany international and Lyon midfielder Dzsenifer Marozsán. That’s been the most consistent answer I’ve given throughout my career and I’ve played against some incredible players.
She was the first player I played against, when I was at Bristol Academy – we played against her in Frankfurt in the Champions League. She hit a free kick and the ball hit the bar before I’d even seen it, it was that quick. She stood out.
SAB: Biggest highlight of your career?
Earps: Winning the Euros – hands down and nothing comes close.
SAB: Your biggest challenge, regret, mistake?
Earps: I don’t believe in regrets. Everyone does everything with the best intentions at the time. Mistakes happen in life. It’s normal, it’s part of who you are.
If I could change anything or one scoreline, I would somehow win the World Cup against Spain last year. If I had a magic wand or time machine, that would be the one.
I love playing for my country, win, lose or draw but you play to win. Spain were an incredible team and worthy winners, but to play in a World Cup final and to win, would’ve been the icing on the cake. But you can’t win everything… although maybe ask Aitana Bonmati, she seems to win everything!
SAB: What does life look like after football for you?
Earps: Hopefully just happy and healthy, with a family, living a nice, little life. As carefree as possible.
I love Paris but I’m not sure where I’ll be. I’d love to own my own business – I like the freedom of that and being my own boss but I’m not sure what that looks like, so watch this space…
You can watch the full Point of View episode here: