Lioness Leah! From young prodigy to star on the brink of Euro glory: Leah Williamson could be about to match Bobby Moore by leading the country to victory
- Women’s team skipper can win the cup for England for the first time in six decades
- As a youngster, Leah had a framed photo of her soccer idol Kelly Smith
- Little did she know that she would one day play with Miss Smith, who retired in 2015
Almost six decades have passed since an English football captain held up an international trophy at Wembley.
But Leah Williamson – captain of the women’s team in the Euro Championships – could be about to match Bobby Moore, who led the country to victory in the 1966 World Cup.
But not so long ago, as family photos show, she was a little girl next door, with a sporty streak who loved gymnastics as well as football—and protected her younger brother, Jacob.
Now, as well as mixing with Prince William and attending A-list show business events, Miss Williamson is the England team’s DJ and oversees musical choices for post-match celebrations.
Leah Williamson, pictured in 2016 with her grandmother and mother, is a diehard Arsenal fan
Friends describe her as a huge fashion lover who loves to dress up for a night out and share glamorous photos with her 382,000 Instagram followers.
The 25-year-old star, a seasoned Arsenal fan who is also captain of the women’s team, often talks about how close she is to her mother Amanda, herself an avid football fan, who worked on the Gunners’ women’s grounds in Borehamwood, Hertfordshire.
Skipper Leah comes closer to lifting the cup for England for the first time in decades
Leah, pictured here in 2019, is a big fan of fashion and loves to share glamorous photos with her 382,000 Instagram followers
In that same stadium, she met her hero, former Arsenal and England star Kelly Smith. Growing up, Miss Williamson had a framed photo of her idol in her bedroom, and she was even her mascot at an English women’s competition in Milton Keynes.
Little did Miss Williamson know then that she would grow up to play with Miss Smith, who five years ago retired as England’s greatest female footballer ever, with 177 caps and 46 goals for her national team.
“Kelly really is the definition of my hero,” Miss Williamson said. “Growing up, I aspired to be like her and that has never changed.”
As a child, Leah showed an aptitude for sports and enjoyed both gymnastics and football
Miss Williamson, an accountant by training, grew up in Milton Keynes with her mother, father David and brother.
Her grandfather was an avid singer himself and once had a Top 40 hit with his band The Good Time Losers, which supported Pink Floyd and The Who in the 1960s.
Miss Williamson joined Rushden & Diamonds Center of Excellence at the age of six, but luck struck when her coach left there to go to Arsenal – and she followed.
Leah proudly poses in an English uniform as she wraps a protective arm around her young brother
“I went across with her and had a few trials and luckily they took me on and I’ve never looked back. So I owe it all to my coach from the age of nine,” said Miss Williamson.
She’s also always loved watching the men’s race – and in fact she so wanted to be a mascot alongside the likes of Thierry Henry that she insisted her mother drive her 215 miles from Cornwall, where the family was on holiday. to the West Midlands after she received a late call up for the role for an Arsenal game at West Bromwich Albion.
Today she and her team-mates prepare for England’s semi-final against Sweden on Tuesday – with the prospect of the final next Sunday, when she could even outdo England’s male stars by taking home a major trophy for the first time since 1966. national stadium.