Lioness Leah, from young prodig y to star on brink of Euro glory
ALMOST six decades have passed since an England football captain held an international trophy aloft at Wembley.
But Leah Williamson – skipper of the women’s team in the Euro championships – could be on the verge of emulating Bobby Moore, who led the nation to victory in the 1966 World Cup.
Yet not that long ago, as family pictures show, she was a little girl-next-door, with a
‘I owe it all to my coach from when I was nine’
sporty streak who enjoyed gymnastics as well as football – and was protective of her younger brother, Jacob.
Now, as well as mixing with Prince William and attending A-list showbusiness events, Miss Williamson is the Engshe land team’s DJ and supervises musical choices for postmatch celebrations.
Friends describe her as a huge lover of fashion who enjoys getting dressed up for a night out – sharing glamorous photographs with her 382,000 Instagram followers.
The 25-year-old star, a diehard Arsenal fan who also captains its women’s team, often speaks of how close she is to her mother Amanda, a keen football fan herself, who worked at the Gunners’ ladies’ ground in Borehamwood, Hertfordshire.
It was at that same stadium that she met her hero, the former Arsenal and England star Kelly Smith.
Growing up, Miss Williamson had a framed picture of her idol in her bedroom and she was even her mascot during an England women’s game in Milton Keynes. Little did Miss Williamson know then that would grow up to play with Miss Smith, who retired five years ago as England’s greatest ever female footballer, with 177 caps and 46 goals for her national team. ‘Kelly is truly the definition of my hero,’ said Miss Williamson. ‘Growing up I aspired to be like her and that’s never changed.’
Miss Williamson, who is training to be an accountant, grew up in Milton Keynes with her mother, father David and brother. A keen singer herself, her grandfather once had a Top 40 hit with his band The Good Time Losers, who supported Pink Floyd and The Who during the 1960s.
Miss Williamson joined Rushden & Diamonds Centre of Excellence at the age of six, but luck struck when her coach there left to go to Arsenal – and she followed.
‘I went across with her and had a couple of trials and luckily they took me on and I never looked back from there. So I owe it all to my coach from when I was nine,’ said Miss Williamson.
She has always enjoyed watching the men’s game too – and, in fact, was so keen to be a mascot alongside the likes of Thierry Henry that she insisted her mother drive her 215 miles from Cornwall where the family were holidaying to the West Midlands after she got a late callup for the role for an Arsenal game at West Bromwich Albion.
Today, she is preparing with her teammates for England’s semi-final against Sweden on Tuesday – with the prospect of the final next Sunday when she could outshine even England’s male stars by lifting a major trophy at the national stadium for the first time since 1966.