A new book with the aim of equipping young girls with the skills and knowledge to be successful in the world of football has been launched.
‘The playbook: Mastering the game’ written by the writer of the famous ‘Bend it like Beckham’ story, Narinder Dhami, has pulled together the stories of 11 inspiring females who have been successful in different roles in the game. The interviewees have roles in the boardroom as players, coaches and analysis among others.
The stories include those of former England international, Arsenal Women legend and now TV presenter Alex Scott, Patricia Rodriguez Barrios, the first female director with a top-flight Spanish club, Stephanie Frappart, the first female to referee a major European match.
France international Wendie Renard and German coach Imke Wubbenhorst, the latter of whom was the first female coach of a men’s team in Germany’s top five divisions, are also included.
Alex Scott is part of Mastercard's launch of the 'Playbook'
Arsenal legend Alex Scott is part of Mastercard's launch of the 'Playbook'
Speaking about the book author Dhami said: “The Playbook shows young girls that it is possible to carve out a career within football no matter the circumstances. Each story shows what passion and determination can help you achieve, and the book is a celebration of those that have helped pave the way for a better future.
“Girls4Football is about creating visibility and the plays from the trailblazers will help provide a blueprint for young girls’ own dreams in football, both on and off the pitch.”
The release of the book coincides with the launch of Mastercard’s new initiative Girls4Football, which has been rolled out across the UK, France, Italy , Germany and Spain which aims to nature skills in young girls to give them the skills they need to be successful.
Women's Sport newsletter
Want to keep up to date with the latest breaking WSL stories and important news from across women's sport while on the move? Join the club!
Don't miss a thing - click here to sign up to our Women's Sport newsletter to receive news straight to your inbox.
You can also buy every edition of our Women's Football News magazine, up to and including the latest release packed full of exclusive news and interviews, right here.
Research conducted by Mastercard found that 43 percent of girls that want to work in sport in the future said that not knowing how to enter the industry is one their their main barriers to not pursuing the career.
Beatrice Cornacchia, Executive vice president of marketing and communication at Mastercard added: “Sport is one of the most powerful tools in driving social change and empowering young women.
"Through the Girls4Football platform and the creation of our playbook, we aim to inspire girls everywhere to pursue their passion for football and explore the vast opportunities it offers - not only on the field but also in careers across the sport.
"Our workshops will equip thousands of girls with the resources they need to break down barriers and continue playing and dreaming.”
Join the football.london Arsenal WhatsApp channel
Arsenal Manager Mikel Arteta, Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Jesus with the Arsenal Therapy Dog Win during the Arsenal Men's team group shoot at London Colney on September 18, 2023
Join our Arsenal WhatsApp channel and get all the latest breaking news, opinion, podcasts and in-depth stories from football.london's dedicated Arsenal writers straight to your phone!
By following this free service you will be the first to know the news from the Emirates Stadium as it happens, when it happens.
To join our dedicated Arsenal channel, all you have to do is click this link and you can join thousands of others following our Gunners coverage!
If you're curious, you can check out our privacy policy here.