England captain Leah Williamson has opened up on the challenges she's faced following the Lionesses historic victory at last summer's EUROs.
The Arsenal defender was as integral part of Sarina Wiegman's squad and became the first captain to lift a major trophy for England since Bobby Moore in 1966. Williamson has also cemented herself as a rock at the heart of the Gunners' back line, with Jonas Eidevall's side firmly in contention for the Women's Super League crown this season.
However, with the popularity of the women's game having skyrocketed since the summer, the 25-year-old is still adapting to life in the spotlight.
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Reflecting on the emotional comedown after winning the EUROs, Williamson told Women’s Health UK: (It's been) hard. It scares the s**t out of me if I’m honest that every day for the rest of my life I will chase that feeling.
"I don’t see how it could have been topped…the only thing I’d love to do is go back and watch it from the stands. As the final whistle went, my grandma just put her head on my mum’s shoulder and went, ‘She did it.’”
The achievements of the Lionesses have sparked something of a revolution in the women's game, with players - perhaps for the first time ever - achieving celebrity status.
On her new-found fame, Williamson said: “Well I love it because we can reach so many people. Like, girls’ mums and dads don’t have to search us out like mine had to…I hate the fame and that side of it.
"I hate that to get from my car to you in the quickest time I need to put a cap on. But when you become a professional women’s footballer, like, that is your role, it’s a joint responsibility. If you’re not prepared to [be famous] you’re doing a disservice to the game and all those women that had to pretend to be boys to be able to play. I understand that I stand on the shoulders of those people.”
The 25-year-old has also opened up on her battle with endometriosis; a health condition which can prompt an array of debilitating symptoms such as severe period pain. She becomes the second prominent figure in the women's game to speak out on the condition in just a matter of months, after it led Chelsea boss Emma Hayes to have an emergency hysterectomy in October.
“Before the Euros I had a concussion, which they say can really impact your next period, and it was bad – like, really bad," Williamson said.
"You know when you’re on the bathroom floor and literally like: ‘I can’t move.’ When it’s too late to take the tablets because I’m, like, in it now.”
She added: "[Having an endometriosis flare up] is a big fear when you get to a tournament not injured…I don’t change too much around [my cycle] now. Unless I’m on the floor. And then I’m like: ‘I won’t make it today.’ I’m a professional athlete, I’ve always been like, ‘let’s get on with it’.
"But you get to a certain age when you actually say: ‘this is a really big f*cking problem.’ I’m pretty sure if men had periods we would have figured out a way to stop them by now without doing any damage.”
While Williamson is now one of the most recognisable faces in the women's game, the 25-year-old is also careful to ensure she has plenty of other goals to focus on away from the pitch.
“[Football] is not my everything," she said. "To continue to do this for another 10 years is quite a daunting thought. If you asked me what I want to be in five years, I’d just say happy…I had my plan from when I was a kid: I was going to get married at 24; I’d have a baby [at] 26. I really held on to that stuff…I’ve taken all that off [the timeline].
"Because if it happens, it happens. I’ve learnt to really trust my feelings and myself now."
The full Leah Williamson interview can be read in the Jan/Feb issue of Women’s Health UK, on sale now, also available as a digital edition.
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