_Prior to this afternoon’s UWCL semi-final second leg between Lyon and Arsenal, Renee Slegers and Leah Williamson spoke to the press on Friday evening in Lyon. Below is a full transcript of Leah’s questions and answers. The first question is from Arseblog News._
**On picking the right moments to play through and go over the top of the Lyon press…**
I think we have demonstrated in the past our variation and we have a lot of strengths to find solutions, but we know they do have a good press and a lot of pace too, so it’s about picking the right moments. I thought we did that well in the first leg too.
**On how much the motivation of more European success factored into her signing a new contract…**
If I’m totally honest, there’s been years that I’ve signed contracts when we haven’t been in this competition so the fact that, that is now on the table and we have a chance to be competitive, we’ve put ourselves in that position. To be regarded as one of those top clubs in Europe of course comes into my decision. As ever, but especially this time I think, very happy to have been asked to stay and to want to be here.
**On the prospect of becoming the first British team to make back-to-back European finals…**
What’s on offer tomorrow is enough motivation for any player to want to be involved in. I especially have been very lucky being at Arsenal, we seem to have been involved in a lot of firsts over the last few years and this one’s performance related. Of course, we get our heads down and compete, not for (a record), just for the point of turning up and trying to do our best. Like I said, what’s on offer is enough to motivate us to do that.
**On managing her fitness and coming back cautiously recently…**
When you have had a few injuries one after another you just have to be a bit more careful. We work together in the National Team and with Arsenal to get me ready and I am feeling better every day.
**On the importance of the likes of Little, Catley, Slegers and Blackstenius signing new contracts and how that factored into her decision…**
I tend not to have too many conversations with other players about contracts, I think that is the same at other football clubs too. There are certain players I always look for because I enjoy playing with them and I want to be in a squad with those people. I am very happy with the signings we have made, I look at the squad and I think it looks very healthy.
**On whether she sees herself as a one club player…**
100%. Football is a business so I understand there’s lot of different things that can come into that but yes, I said in this (contract interview) I’ll never regret spending so much time here. It’s a really rewarding thing to have been given so much by something and to hopefully try and give back, so that’ll be my motivation for as long as I’m able to see what the future holds.
**On the men’s and women’s teams playing in Champions League semi-finals this week…**
I think it’s amazing; Arsenal’s always competed but some years more than others and I think the positions we’re both in, it’s a credit to the work that goes on at the training ground for everybody that works there. We’ve got exceptional people and people who work really hard so I’m happy that there’s something, especially for the fans as well, but it’s a good place to work at the moment.
**On now having certainty over her future…**
We know how big a game it is tomorrow and I want to be focusing on performance, so not having those external question marks is helpful. It doesn’t always work like that so you have to enjoy those moments when they come.
**On how she prepares for big matches…**
As soon as I wake up I go into game mode. That started yesterday and the day before that, but you also have time to switch off from it. But the game day is time for ultimate focus and that will begin tomorrow as soon as I wake up and it’s about doing everything perfectly from there.