A biography for Leah Williamsonhasn’t been written yet.
“I do try really hard to listen to what is 'actually' being said to me, instead of thinking about how I 'should' respond while someone is speaking.”
“Football is such a beautiful thing, but I'm not just here to play football.”
“You look at the likes of Lucy Bronze, such a decorated footballer, and that adds so much value to our team.”
“I didn't want to go down to the park and get muddy if I was going to get muddy at the weekend, I just wasn't that kid, I didn't want to be out until all hours on the street.”
“I was always a good runner, I dipped into triathlons a bit and stuff like that, but I just remember saying to my mum, 'What can I change to make sure I can be an Olympian?'”
“To be captain is an extended duty that you have to be ready to do properly.”
“I was brought up never to expect people to say no to me, because if I said I wanted to do something, then I was pushed forward and given as many resources as possible to do it by my family.”
“Before every tournament you sit down as a team and you outline the goals and what you want to achieve.”
“I actually think I'm a good quizzer. Alex Scott always says this about me - she laughs at me, because I just come out with random facts all the time. I just know stuff about stuff.”
“From the first time I kicked a ball for my local team, I knew that was it. This is what I wanted to do.”
“I want young girls to see football as an option.”
“In the industry I work in, women have had a lot of oppression. So, I don't like to stick to the status quo or the norm with my clothes. I like to step out of that, and that's where embracing that masculine side of dress comes from.”
“I had quite a few injuries at the start of my career.”
“I'm quite emotional and I do cry at a lot of music.”
“Mum and Grandma were strong independent women who just smashed any barrier that was in their way.”
“When I was growing up there were plenty of boys' teams around. But the problem was that not many of the coaches wanted a girl playing in their teams. Some would make up an excuse by saying that their teams were full and there was no space for me. While no one told me 'no' to my face, it felt like I wasn't entirely welcome.”
“I'm pretty sure if men had periods we would have figured out a way to stop them by now without doing any damage.”
“I've always loved women championing each other and telling their stories to help others who might need that little bit of inspiration, motivation or even reassurance that they are strong enough to be whoever they want to be.”
“I grew up in a split household. My mum supports Arsenal and my dad supports Spurs, so it was always quite a lively football household.”
“There are so many things that we've been conditioned to believe 'that's what happens.' A woman walks down the street and she accepts certain things happen because that's just the way of the world. We can change it. That's up to us. I'm trying. I'm doing my bit.”