TURNING A PAIGE
Paige Williams’ Italian job
WOMEN’S football has come a long way in the last few years – and the current day players have the opportunities their predecessors could only have dreamed of.
The Women’s Super League in England is giving players the chance to play professionally and there are clubs in different countries around the world looking to recruit the cream of the crop.
Paige Williams is making the most of it. It was a little under a year ago that the 21year-old left-back departed England to play for Brescia. Things couldn’t have gone much better for the former Everton starlet – she won a league and cup double and reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League last term.
In the summer, she moved to Verona and is enjoying a fresh challenge this term, though they did suffer a Champions League last 32 exit at the hands of Kazakhstan opposition.
“Moving to Italy has been the biggest challenge I’ve ever had but the most beneficial of my football career,” she said. “I knew when I signed that Brescia would be challenging for the league, but to win it the way we did – we didn’t lose a game after I arrived – was unbelievable.
“It was my first senior title and the whole year was such a buzz. I was pretty comfortable at Brescia, but I wanted to learn more as a player and decided to move to Verona after weighing up my options.
“It’s a lot more professional in how the club is run and there’s more training here. It helps that there are a few more foreign players, too. I was the only one at Brescia whereas here there are a few more.” Aside from missing her family and home city of Liverpool at times, Williams has adapted well to life in Italy, though she did admit she wondered if she would at the start. “I didn’t think I would stick it out in the first few months, but when I got past that I loved it,” she said. “I’m learning the language and that’s the main barrier when you arrive. “Now I’m translating for some of the new girls! We’ve got three Greeks, a Spaniard, a German and a Dutch player. The coach doesn’t speak English, so we go from Italian to English to Greek and German. Something that should take 20 minutes takes an hour! It’s different types of football coming together.” Despite enjoying her Italian job, Williams is contemplating returning to these shores in the not-too-distant future. Why? Well, her ambition to become the best player she can and earn senior England honours may dictate a switch back.
“Being completely honest, this will probably be my last season in Italy,” said the Scouser. “The Italian league probably isn’t in the top five in Europe so it may be that I return to England.
“Kim Little coming back (the midfielder has rejoined Arsenal from US side Seattle Reign) and the quality of players going to England means it’s becoming one of the best leagues in the world. We’ll see what happens after this season. Last year I didn’t expect to stay but I’m loving it!
“But England is a massive aim and every decision I make is for that. I think you need to play in England for them to look at you all the time, though I’m happy they call me back for competitions with the Next Gen team. England is a big ambition in the next few years.”
Women’s football in England is set for more big changes next year. After an experiment with summer football, the Women’s Super League is set to switch to a winter season.
Following a one-off transitional competition known as the FA WSL Spring Series to bridge the gap, the 2017-18 WSL will run from September to May and will include a winter break from mid-December to midJanuary.
Among the benefits mooted of the more traditional calendar are that it could help the national team and also English clubs in Europe. Williams believes it’s a good move.
“The summer league was trying to get the fans in, but there are probably only two months of the season when the men’s teams aren’t playing,” she said.
“The winter league would run alongside the Champions League and I just think it’s better overall.”
For the moment, though, Williams is happy to enjoy the good life in Italy and continue developing as a player and as a person. Who could blame her?