Leah Williamson reflected on trying to level with the project at Arsenal.
After signing a new deal with the club, she will enter her 14th domestic campaign for the Gunners. It will also be the beginning of the third decade on the books of the North London club, having been involved in the youth setup since 2006, and the choice to continue with the team pulls on heartstrings.
‘Back-to-back semifinals is an achievement'
The experience of the Emirates Stadium crowd will never grow old for the club captain, whose side are still riding the wave of Champions League success against Real Madrid, **OL Lyonnes**and **Barcelona**on the way to the crown last May.
A 2-1 first leg lead against the French outfit has put the reigning champions in pole position to reach back-to-back finals for the first time in their history.
Williamson is living in the moment, and she is excited to see what happens next for the group.
“Even getting to the final, I feel like [the squad] got a little bit more of what they deserved at the time. A little bit more attention on what they did, for people that either didn't know or just didn't know how big it was. I think even that whole process, I felt the weight of it. I felt, not in a negative way, just like this is that big. Especially being underdogs - it's a really interesting dynamic to go into a final.
“Underdogs, but it's not a total surprise that we won it because we've been putting in the work. 40,000, 60,000 people don't turn up here for no reason. To build that community felt like a real football game with real high stakes and we delivered. The relief was pretty spectacular.
“I feel like the level across Europe is so high. I don't think that narrative has dramatically changed. You don't shoot to the top just because you win one trophy. To reach back-to-back semifinals is an achievement in itself.
“Everybody always says: of course, you want to win a final, but getting to a final is…you can only compete for the silverware once you're there. We're still on a journey, it will never end. The goalposts will keep changing, the calibre of team that you play against keeps changing. It's about turning up in big games and hoping that on our best day, we're good enough to do whatever's required.
“Even when you talk about it now, [the fans] evokes emotion. It's an experience. I think playing for Arsenal now is an experience. I think that we as a football club offer players that opportunity, especially women's footballers in this generation. I hope that in years to come, I don't want them to ever take it for granted.
“I hope they're not fazed by it. That's the expectation, but it hasn't been for us. It wasn't what we all thought would be our life when we grew up. It was a dream, so you get to live it out, which probably adds a little bit of special. I think people enjoy coming to play here for that reason also. I think we all feel strong. When I'm stood in that tunnel, I feel strong, knowing what's on the other side.
“I think we just keep trying to climb. We're trying to find a new level as a team, trying to find a new level personally. I feel like I still have more to give everybody. I think one of the reasons I signed this contract, I was thinking about everything. I enjoy coming to work. I enjoy caring about everybody, from the guy that greets me on the gate that I've known for years. These are people in my life now.
“They're people that I truly care about, that I think care about me. I just don't feel like… You have performance. I will never, ever stop trying to rise. As a team, we have goals that we want to achieve. We haven't won everything consistently. That's a goal for all of us, and I don't think it's unachievable.
“Then there's just the humans. I'm not ready to leave those people. We can still offer each other something. If it comes in the form of trophies and experiences from my side to them, then that's great. Arsenal's home. It still feels like home. It drives me, the energy to put back into what it's given me.”