“That would have been the dream – to kind of mic drop and leave by winning a trophy with England,” says Steph Houghton as she reflects on a 22-year career during which she played for Sunderland, Leeds Carnegie, Arsenal and Manchester City and won three Women’s Super League titles, alongside captaining the Lionesses at three major tournaments. “But I wouldn’t change any of that because I think that has made me the person that I am today.”
The highs live long in the memory. Houghton, who retired at the end of the season having announced her decision in March, played a significant role in drawing the kind of attention that laid foundations for a boom in the women’s game. Since rounding Andréia Suntaque to open the scoring against a Marta-led Brazil for Team GB at the 2012 Olympics, the 36-year-old has led the way in advocating professional standards. She was also one of the first female players given a central contract by the Football Association, in 2009, when many of the Lionesses were part-time.
