Liverpool FC women have had an impressive season. Despite coming seventh in the Women’s Super League last year – finishing seven points below their Merseyside rivals, Everton – this year, they’ve been on a roll. With just four games to go until the end of the season, the team are currently in fifth, with just two points separating them and Manchester United in fourth.

It’s a sign of the increased competition we’re finally seeing in women’s football, thanks to the boost in investment and excitement the game has attracted.

Over the last five seasons, Liverpool FC Women have seen a 290% increase in attendances at Preston Park – their home ground – and it’s a trend which shows no signs of stopping; a record crowd watched the team come up against Arsenal in a 2-0 defeat in January this year.  

Now, the team are taking some time to reflect on their journey with the help of Expedia’s ‘Thank You For Getting Us Here’ campaign, which aims to shed a light on the people who have worked to improve access for women to play football.

So, before this record-breaking season comes to a close, we sat down with three Liverpool FC Women players to discuss the people who helped them get to where they are today, as well as how the growth of the women’s game has affected them and their careers. 

“My family have been instrumental in getting me to where I’m at today. They helped me get to training or travel to games, and without their support and lifts to and from matches, I wouldn’t have been able to do it.

“The women’s game is still in a really early phase. It’s only in the last decade or so that it’s been fully professional, and that’s still not the case in many other countries. But the UK does have a lot of catching up to do, even if lots of us are now professional footballers. We need better medical facilities, proper training environments and so on. As time goes on, I’m sure those things will improve though – it’s an exciting time for women’s football, for sure.

“I think the most important thing is that young girls now are able to see professional female footballers – when I was younger that didn’t exist, but having that visibility allows them to see that there is a pathway. Players play a big role as role models, but being able to attend matches is important, too. There’s a lot of things that have progressed since I first started, so it’s great to see that.” 

“The most influential person in my football journey has to have been my mum – without her sacrifices I wouldn’t be where I am today. When I was younger I was the only girl in an all-boys team, which was difficult. Things are getting a lot better now – more girls can access all-girls teams – but I do think that’s something which needs to be worked on, to get more girls into football.

“Having a role model is also really important. The role model I lean on is Lionel Messi – I used to watch him all the time when I was younger. People need to have someone they can look up to like that, because when you see your role model doing something, you believe that you can do it as well.

“Ultimately, we need to get to a point where things are more equal for boys and girls breaking into football, as well as better equality in the professional game when it comes to things like money. But we’re seeing progress; it wasn’t long ago that there weren’t as many fans and the ones we did have couldn’t get to away games. Now, they’re at every game – and that’s a huge confidence boost.” 

“I used to play in America (where the women’s game has traditionally been more popular) and coming back to see how the league and fandom have grown has been hugely positive.

“When we play away games it almost feels like a home game these days – it’s great for our away fans to have their own section where we can go and appreciate them at the end of the games and share those moments with them. As a player, I absolutely love having them there.

“Like everyone else, I wouldn’t be where I am without my parents. They changed their lives to facilitate my dreams – getting me to training and supporting me throughout my career.” 

Images: Expedia UK