Lisa feels so lucky to have footie family
Arsenal Ladies star Lisa Evans knows she’s lucky to have been brought up in a football-daft family.
As a kid growing up in Perthshire, there weren’t many opportunities for girls to play football, so when Lisa started to show an interest in the game, her dad set up a girls team.
The move paid off, with the 26-year-old having since gone on to be a hit in Scotland with Glasgow City, in Germany with Bayern Munich, and now in England with the Gunners.
The forward said: “In the street where we lived, it was all boys so I would play football with the boys and be part of the boys’ teams.
“Then my dad started a girls team, so I joined at seven and it’s been non-stop from then. It’s just a family that’s mad about football.
“My mum and dad both follow football and they come down to London to watch my games. It’s a really supportive family.”
Lisa is passionate about young girls being given opportunities to play football and seeing participation in the women’s game continue to increase.
That’s why she jumped at the chance to get involved with the Scottish FA’s Girls’ Soccer Centres, presented by sponsors SSE, as an ambassador for the East region.
She recently thrilled around 30 girls by making an appearance at the Dundee West Centre and participating in a Q&A session and mini-tournament.
She said: “Nowadays, the opportunities for young girls are absolutely unreal.
“We didn’t have anything like the Girls’ Soccer Centres when I was younger, there wasn’t a great amount of opportunities for girls’ football.
“It’s just an absolute privilege to be involved and to see the opportunities that are out there now.
“Women’s football is very fast growing, both in England and Scotland, and it’s great to be a part of it and to help push on the progress.
“You want as many opportunities as possible. You want as many girls choosing to play football from a young age.
“I think that’s what has helped me Arsenal and Scotland forward Lisa Evans most in my career — playing football from a young age and playing it every single moment I could.
“These opportunities allow kids to play and grow and just be part of something really fun and enjoyable.”
Lisa is no stranger to winning silverware and, thanks to our brilliant competition, one young reader will know what it feels like to be a winner too.
We’re asking youngsters to design a new SSE Scottish Women’s Cup trophy, which will be presented to the triumphant team at the final on November 4.
The prize also includes hospitality at the match and £1000-worth of sports kit for the winner’s school.
Lisa added: “The competition is a great idea. It’s really nice that the kids are getting involved and designing their own trophy.
“They can follow the games and play a part in making it a really special day for the two teams who are in the SSE Scottish Women’s Cup Final.”