The Football Interview is a new series in which major sporting and entertainment figures join host Kelly Somers for candid, in-depth conversations about the nation's favourite sport. Episodes explore mindset, defining moments and the person behind the player. Interviews will appear on BBC iPlayer, YouTube, BBC Sounds and the BBC Sport website, with this conversation airing on BBC One at 23:50 BST on Saturday 28 February.
Leah Williamson has collected almost every honour available in women's football. As England captain she has twice lifted the European Championship, and her 20-year Arsenal career has produced every domestic and continental trophy imaginable, including the Champions League and the inaugural Women's Champions Cup. The one major prize still missing, she says, is the World Cup.
In a wide-ranging interview with Somers, Williamson talks about the early days, doubts she had as a teenager, how family support shaped her choices, and the things off the pitch that help her switch off.
Her earliest sporting memories are modest: a soft ball during a gymnastics lesson and childhood matches for her local side. She remembers being awkward with the ball — she “toe-punted” instea
