Why was football so important to you growing up?

That’s a good question. I’ve always loved and played football from a very young age. It was important to me as it was a great escape from school life and it was something fun to do.

What was your first football team? Do you remember your coach?

My first football team was Leyton Orient and my first coaches were Michael Morris and Tracy Kevins. They were like mentors to me and I am still in touch with them both.

What is your favourite memory of grassroots football?

My favourite memories from Leyton Orient were my Centre of Excellence days. We had a really good group as we didn’t have a women’s football team after the Under 16’s, a lot of the girls went their own ways. I went to Arsenal, but a lot of the girls went to West Ham and Tottenham. A few are still playing to this day. The group of girls I was with were a very special group.

How did grassroots football help you as a player/person?

Grassroots football shaped me from a young age. All the sacrifices we made at that age and the discipline we had to show otherwise there would be consequences.

Where would you be without football?

I’ve always been quite academic so probably in an office-based job like finance, or a banking role paying the bills. But football is the best job in the world, I say this all the time. I may have been happy in an office job, but life without football? I can’t actually imagine it.

How can young people benefit from grassroots football?

Friendship and discipline. Friendship was a massive thing for me at Leyton Orient. You obviously have school friends, but the friends I made at Leyton were different. We all had the same passions and hobbies so those friendships were just different. Another benefit is it sets you up for life, you gain life skills like discipline and social skills and as you grow up you really see those benefits.