“I’m not earning enough to retire after my playing career” says Lionesses captain & Arsenal Women star | OneFootball

In a candid interview with the Sunday Times, Arsenal Women’s Leah Williamson, and her cousin Jordan Glover, discussed the game from the perspective of a female footballer.

The England Women captain believes that the Lionesses changed the dynamics of women’s football in the UK, after setting an 87,000 attendance record at Wembley Stadium in their 2-1 European Championship victory over Germany in 2022.

Even though their club football games now draw large crowds, she believes there are still other areas for improvement. She suggests that improving the wage package for female football players would alleviate her need to make other work contingency plans when she could have retired if the gap between male and female footballer pay packages were not so significant. She hopes that things will improve over time and that women football players will have a better future. In her own words, Leah said:

“Things are much better now, and I’d like to think our success at the euros played a part in that. The final felt like a turning point—87,000 people at Wembley for us. There are some elements of the women’s game that need to catch up. I’m not earning enough to retire after my playing career, so I’m still aiming to complete my accountancy studies in case I need something to fall back on. The women’s game still has to grow, but when I’m playing for Arsenal, we get crowds of 35,000, more than some of the men’s premier league teams. Am I bitter? There’s no point. I just hope the next generation doesn’t have to deal with the same problems.”

It is encouraging to see Williamson advocate for the betterment of women’s football. She is a true role model, and when it’s her time to hang up her boots, girls will recognise her for her brilliance both on and off the field.

What are your thoughts Gooners?

Michelle M

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