Beth Roberts dissects the left-back position before delving into the future to predict what her career, Wolves Women and women’s football could look like in five years’ time.
Positional play
Did you always want to play left-back?
Up until under-15s at Stoke’s academy I was playing as a winger, but one day the coach decided to try me at full-back and I’ve played as a left-back ever since. I definitely prefer it as I feel like I can attack better from deeper areas of the pitch and I do love defending as well, so it’s perfect for me.
What is the best part of playing left-back?
Other teams don’t expect me to be so attacking, so they won’t always set up to pick me out as a threat, so I do often catch teams out by being attacking and overlapping because they’re not expecting it.
What is the hardest part of playing left-back?
It is the fact you’re expected to get so high up the pitch but also prioritising your defensive duties, so it’s hard work. The moment I do an overlap or an attacking run, I’ve got to remember my defensive responsibilities and get back, so it’s very demanding fitness-wise.
What do you work on most as a left-back?
I’ve been working on my movement to get on the ball. Not just being stationary, going high to come short, and not being predictable to defend against. I’ve also been working with the winger on my overlapping.
What qualities are needed to play left-back?
You definitely need to be athletic because you’ve got to get up and down the pitch. You’ve got to be physically strong as well, because you come up against strong and quick wingers, so you need to win your one-vs-one battles, and an important thing is having a good delivery when you cross a ball.
What other position would you like to play?
I don’t think I’d be very good, but I like the idea of playing as a number 10, attacking centre-mid. You get on the ball so much and it will be nice to link up with the play more.
What is the hardest other position to play?
I’d say central midfield because you’ve got to have so much awareness. You’ve got to know what’s happening all around you, 360 degrees, and you’re expected to get on the ball all the time, so it’s very demanding out of possession as you’ve got to cover so much ground.
Which other left-back do you watch and learn from?
I know she’s a right-back, but Lucy Bronze is somebody who, throughout my career, I’ve looked up to because I think she’s the best full-back in the world. She’s so athletic and physical and that’s how I like to be in my game. But as a left-back, it was Ashley Cole. He was a great player, really good on the ball, and great both attacking and defensively.
In five years’ time…
Personal achievements
I would like to be playing at a higher level, that’s in the Women’s Championship, and my main aim is to get there with Wolves and be a part of that team. I also hope I’m having injury free seasons, getting lots of assists and adding lots of goals.
Wolves’ future
I definitely see Wolves being a part of the Championship, but five years is a long time, so I hope we’d have aspirations of getting even higher up the leagues and into the Women’s Super League, because we keep on building every season.
Hopes for the women’s game
It’ll just be even further along than it is now. It’s growing so quickly and it will have more coverage and more backing. We’ve seen in tier three that teams are now becoming part-time and full-time, so this league and possibly the league below will become full-time, which will be amazing to see. There will also be a lot more opportunities for young girls coming through as well.
Changes to women’s football
These changes are already beginning to be made, but I hope radio stations and TV stations will take women’s football more seriously. I hope men’s clubs will integrate women’s clubs even more, and I know clubs like Sheffield United have their women’s team play every home game at their main stadium, so I hope that will become a regular thing.
Remembering the current Wolves team
I only joined last February, but the girls have worked so hard to bring the team to where it is today, they’ve got promoted and then won the league they got promoted into, and we are a resilient and courageous team and with some of the talent we’ve got, people will definitely look back and remember the team we had as a success.
This article originally featured in Wolves' official 2023/24 matchday programme. Last season's programmes are still available to purchase online through retailers Curtis Sports.
