Ellie Wilson believes the constant growth of the women’s game is driving the standard of football right the way through the pyramid.
Speaking exclusively on this week’s Wolves Weekly, an International Women’s Day special, the Wolves Women defender has discussed her own journey in the game, key timings in terms of the growth of women’s football and how the game is continuing to make strides.
On her journey in football
“I actually started playing at Reading Football Club. I was about eight and then got into the academy at 12, made my first-team debut at 16 and went all the way through their ranks.
“I went to play for Bristol City for two years. We had a promotion with Reading, then I had a promotion with Bristol City to the WSL and had a really good few years there.
“I got my first England call-ups during that time as well which was exciting. I then played for London Bees for a season-and-a-half, probably taking into the Covid season.
“I then signed for Sheffield United in 2020 and then signed for Wolves three years later which is this season.
“I’ve been a bit all over the country but I’ve had a bit of international experience which has been fun and I’ve enjoyed it.”
On her career highlights
“The Bristol City time that I had there was just brilliant. I’d just come off the back of promotion with Reading and as a younger player I hadn’t played a big part in that.
“The Bristol City promotion was a big one and we had some massive games. There was a highlight game against Everton and it literally was whoever won the game would be going up with a six-week lead in with no fixture before it. It was a massive deal and I had some great memories there.
“I had the opportunity to represent GB at the World Uni Games during that time as well, so those two seasons were just the highlight of the three seasons.”
On the best players she’s played against
“Around that Bristol time, Chloe Kelly, Vivianna Miedema – these are obviously against! Some really top players.
“Alex Greenwood, a lot of the current England squad. I saw a photo of Lauren Hemp earlier in a Bristol City kit. She was a youngster just breaking into the team.
“She was getting a few minutes and we thought she was going to be class one day. She went from Bristol City to Man City at the time.”
On the key timings of growth in women’s football
“I left Bristol City around 2018/19 and we noticed there was a lot more interest in the women’s game.
“We were the first team to be full-time in the Championship at that time so we were favourites to get promoted as well.
“Even that in itself just started to show the way the game was going. I’d be up every day commuting from Reading to Bristol and I was loving life playing football every day. I couldn’t really complain.
“Off the back of that, there were players moving. Like I mentioned, Hempo went from Bristol to Man City, Hayley Ladd signed for Manchester United, Millie Turner signed for Manchester United as well. Players were moving onto big clubs, Claire Emslie as well.
“The WSL was really taking off so that was the place to be and the Championship is where you get your move from.
“There was a lot of progress and it’s just continued, even in the last two years off the back of the England women’s team. There’s just been progress after progress.”
On the success of Euro 2022
“The home Euros was just absolutely class and being at Sheffield United at the time, Bramall Lane was one of the host cities for the tournament.
“I went to a lot of the games, I think I went to every single one that was at Bramall Lane and the atmosphere was just insane. The semi-final there especially was just electric and I’ve never seen any stadium like that before.
“To think it was a women’s game, it was absolutely packed out. Winning it as well just set the place alight.
“There were young kids, parents bringing their kids down, young boys with England shirts on. It was just a really good atmosphere and then that carried onto Wembley, they won and that has really put it on the map since then.
“Even as a player, it doesn’t matter what league you’re in, you see younger boys and girls looking up to you. That just shows the progress that the game has made.
“It’s not just young girls that are inspired by us now, it’s the young boys. That’s really nice because you’re a bit of a role model in that sense.”
On the continued growth of women’s football
“It’s all going in the right direction in terms of growing the game and that interest is starting to filter down to the players and the game developing itself.
“There’s a lot more media interest which means there’s sponsorship opportunities, finances and clubs take more of an interest into what their women’s team is doing and can they climb the ladder. Southampton being a prime example of that a few years ago. They were in tier five I think and putting that investment in, it just goes to show what that investment can achieve.
“Off the back of that, you get more professional environments and the players are supported a lot better.
“I keep using the word professional, but that is what the game is becoming. I think tier three is now probably what the Championship was a couple of seasons ago and, likewise, the Championship is probably what the WSL was four or five years ago.
“It’s just constant growth. There’s a lot more players coming in from overseas and it’s driving the standard across the board which takes the standard up across the lower levels of the pyramid as well.”
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