Our forward opens up on her footballing philosophy
What do you remember from your very early days being coached? What were the most valuable lessons you learned?
I remember a lot. My earliest memories of football are just playing for the love of the game. As a kid, it was mostly about just having fun. That's definitely something that I take with me still today, because I know I play my best football when I'm happy and enjoying myself. That's why we all started and we shouldn’t lose sight of that. I'm fortunate enough to call it a job today, but I never really look at it as work. It's a passion and something that I love doing. I'm able to call it work and play professionally but the love of the game is definitely the thing that keeps me going every day.
Who were your early influences? What players did you look up to when you started and why?
We’re a big football family so I got into football because of them. Then I was lucky enough to have really good coaches when I was a kid that embedded that love even more. I had a coach at my first club, Bearsted, who was called Colin Whitfield and he’s someone I still speak to today. All my secondary school PE teachers still come to games now which is lovely. I'm still friends with them because that's where your love continues if you’re able to play when you're at school. So I still speak to a lot of my early influences today, which keeps me grounded I think.
I loved Kelly Smith. She was always my idol as a kid, and I used to go and watch her games with my dad when she was at Arsenal. She was just an unbelievable player. Now I’m lucky enough to to work with her every day as well, which is really nice. I think she knows how to score and how to create better than anyone, so we're definitely lucky enough to be learning off one of the best.
Can you pinpoint a stage in your career, or an age group, where you made the biggest leap?
When I went to America for college, it was a big learning curve. I had to grow up quickly so far away from home with so many new experiences to contend with. I was playing a different style of football with older players and the coaches out there - Anson and Damon - were some of the best coaches ever.
That's the period of your life when you turn from a girl into a woman. I was only 18 when I first went out there and those were the years that set up the new chapter of my career. As soon as I stepped foot on the University of North Carolina campus, I knew it was the right place to be. I made lifelong friendships there, I was competing against other athletes at the highest level and it was just a perfect environment to develop as a footballer and as a person.
It's crazy to think all these years later than Lotte, Emily and I are all back together here at Arsenal. We grew up at college side-by-side and now we’re continuing that journey.
How has training evolved since your first seasons in the sport?
As you get older, your body changes and football becomes a bit more serious. You're not a kid anymore that can run around for hours and hours on end without looking after your body. We’re lucky enough at Arsenal to have so many staff who literally bend over backwards to help you and will do anything to see you succeed. I feel very fortunate to be around so many top professionals who can help with all the different aspects that come with your game.
As I've got older and gone through injuries and different setbacks, I've found a real importance in making sure that I tap into the knowledge of the people that know it best. Whether that's nutrition or recovery or coaches, just making sure that they can help me in as best way as possible. The game's evolved a long way since I was a kid and you need lots of other people around you. So making sure that I use all the support available is really important to me.
What training qualifications do you have now or would like to have in future? What coaching experience do you have?
I don't have any right now. I know a lot of the girls at Arsenal are doing their coaches badges at the moment but I'm not sure. I don't really know what I want to do after football yet. All I think about now is playing and loving it. I'm hoping one day that something will just come to me, but I'm not sure coaching will be it. I love learning from different coaches and adapting my game because of their guidance. But you need to have a unique skillset to be a good coach.
What do you wish you had known earlier in your career?
As I get older, I always say, things get tough and we have difficult moments, but it's all about people who care. Make sure you listen to them and make sure that you're not too hard on yourself. Obviously, as a player, you hold yourself to such high standards and I always will do that. But I also need to make sure to always remember that love for the game and why you started in the first place. That’s really important to remember when times are tough and things are difficult on the pitch. It draws you back to the game you loved as a kid.
Do you enjoy the analysis side of the game? (And why/why not?)
I think there's so much you can learn from different players, different teams and different styles of play. I've learned that more and more throughout my career. I've always loved watching football but the analysis side came a little later. It’s also important to watch your own games back to see it with fresh eyes and maybe notice your blind spots. It helps you become a better player every day.
Who in the current squad would make the best manager in future and why?
Mariona has got a lot of football knowledge. I don't know if she'd want to be a coach because he's quite quiet, but I really like talking football with her because she looks at the game in a very intelligent way. It's nice to learn different things from her because of what she's been through as a footballer. She's been at the very top and she knows how to win as well, so she's got that mentality as well. In general, I love talking about football with my teammates about football because it’s so interesting to understand where people have come from and their routes into football.
What can football learn from other sports?
I think sports are so similar in the sense that you're high performing athletes. When I was younger, I loved Serena Williams, because she's a winner and a top player, and what she did for the game was incredible. I think there's so much to learn from other sports whether it’s a question of mentality or how other people reach their potential. I’m always reading or listening to other athletes’ stories because they’re so fascinating, both in their similarities and their differences.
When I was at UNC, I was an amazing atmosphere to be a part of because I was around so many college athletes from different sports at the top of their game. A lot of American professional athletes come through the college system which sets those standards early and also introduces the element of playing in front of supporters. Our football stadium could hold almost 50,000 people and that’s something I’d never come close to experiencing before.