In 1997 at just 19, Faye White made her debut for England against Scotland at Almondvale Stadium in Livingston. England won 4-0 and the victory barely made a ripple in the media – I challenge you to try and find a report, even a headline about it.
For fifteen years, Faye White, as captain of England grew used to this obscurity.
There were moments in the spotlight; Faye made sure of it. With her beloved Arsenal, she won the UEFA Women's Champions League, League titles and the FA Cup across three different decades. Some games were broadcast on national television but it certainly wasn't the norm.
Now retired, Faye White is witnessing the revolution that she began and discusses the impact of England winning Euro 2022 in front of record crowds at Wembley and around the world.
Faye White on building a legacy
"We need to build a future for women’s football which wasn’t seen after the Olympics. It’s about getting people to go to the WSL games and raising the profile of them. I saw the young girl celebrating on the TV, and seeing some of the players cry made me emotional as well.
You just think that she should have that role model like boys do and it’s about changing the views of younger generations, educating them and teaching them as they grow up. Every young girl should have the opportunity to play and the FA has highlighted the importance of it being in Primary school so that’s where a difference will be made. Some schools still don’t have girls football opportunities and this needs to change."
New role models & Leah Williamson
"The way she holds herself and the way she plays is so calm. She’s down-to-earth, humble and is good at putting others first. She’s consistently performing at a good level and she drives the team on. When she does interviews and talks, she gives authority and calmness and she’s always had that throughout her career. I remember seeing her at the Arsenal training ground and thinking about how mature she is. It will be an honour to captain England at a home Euros and she’s lucky to be in a team with other leaders as well."
Building the infrastructure for future generations
"This will be important for the legacy of the tournament. We need to focus on getting people to the next set of WSL games and future England games. We need to pick bigger grounds to have them in though. We need to be in the men’s stadiums as that’s what people want.
With Arsenal, people don’t want to go to Borehamwood as only 2000 fans or so can get in. At some point it needs to make that step of playing more regularly at the bigger grounds. The FA and clubs need to look for ways of doing it in order to create a transformation."
Time are a-changing
"It’s exploded in the last 4 or five years which is great. When we lost to Germany, I remember seeing half a million people on the streets celebrating the Germans coming home, while when we came back there was absolutely no one there, even though we had gotten further than ever before. It was a bit disappointing as we thought getting to the final would profile the women's game and give it a bit more coverage.
Now though, over nine million watched regularly over the last few games. [It's] spine-tingling to see."
Watching with envy
"Of course, I would love to still be playing now. I was watching the game at the stadium thinking if I could play now it's more professional, how i would relish that. I was always really professional when I played and I think I would have suited this new professional era. I've played against a lot of the current players and I would have loved to have played at this tournament. Training every day, playing games, I would have loved that.
Equally though, I recognise that back then was my time, I had a good career which I appreciate and I have a sense of pride watching the team knowing that I helped pave the way. I’ve loved watching the players I now celebrate at full-time enjoying it with the crowds and hopefully this is now the new norm and becomes a regular occurrence."
With Women's Super League still a month away, season tickets have sold out at Arsenal and Chelsea, with huge sale increases across the country, including Brighton, Leicester, and Manchester City.
Women's football is finally getting the attention it deserves and as Gabby Logan so eloquently put it last week, "It's only just begun."
The Women's Super League season kicks-offs in September with coverage via BBC and Sky Sports.