England's most capped star explains how football has drastically changed over the years

England's most capped star explains how football has drastically changed over the years
Callum Vurley

By Callum Vurley


Published: 08/09/2024

- 12:30

Women's football has undergone a massive transformation

Women's football has never been more popular with the Lionesses' roaring success in international competitions.

In 2022, they won the Women's European Championship and a year later, they came within a whisker of winning the World Cup.


While the men's have yet to win a major trophy since 1966, many fans have turned to the Lionesses, who led by Sarina Wiegman, have become a force to be reckoned with.

But it has not always been this way and it was not too long ago when players had to buy their own kits and trained only once a week, a far-cry from the professional standards set now by the Women's Super League.

Fara Williams

Fara Williams was speaking to GB News about the growth of women's football

Ready10/PA

There at the start was Fara Williams, who battled the hard life of amateur football before going on to become England's most capped player of all time.

Speaking exclusively to GB News, the former Chelsea, Liverpool and Everton midfielder detailed why women's football has undergone such a massive transformation.

Talking at Wembley as Kind Snacks presented a huge mosaic of England's recent successes, Williams said: "I think the transition of the game going from amateur to professional is the most obvious change, going to training once a week when I started in the evenings to now to girls being full-time professionals footballers.

"The transition of that, being paid to do something that you absolutely love. It started I had to pay to play it and it ended they paid me to play the game."

Williams played for England for the first time in 2001 before going on to reach 172 caps and scoring 40 goals, playing last for the Lionesses in 2019.

The 40-year-old was there through the hard times before helping to usher in the team of superstars seen in recent years including Ellen White, Lucy Bronze, Chloe Kelly and Alessia Russo.

JUST IN: FA stance on sacking Lee Carsley made clear over national anthem furore

English players are moving abroad more to play for Europe's titans including Keira Walsh at Barcelona and Georgia Stanway at Bayern Munich.

And the Lionesses camp has helped forge those pathways, due to the amount of investment seen at international level.

"The internationals were very professional in terms of what we had then, obviously at your club as I mentioned you train once a week and play on the weekend," Williams added.

READ MORE: Lee Carsley accused of 'losing the country' after refusing to sing national anthem

Fara Williams

Fara Williams has revealed the differences between international and club level

Ready10/PA

"International, you'd be in camp for a week for a game. Then you have the nutritionists, the physios, the coaches. You have the rest and recovery times.

"So you probably felt more like a professional when you play for the national team just because of how you are treated in that week together compared to at the club.

"You were doing your recovery, you were eating well, food was provided, training kit was provided for you whereas at club level you'd have to pay for the training kit yourself.

LATEST SPORTS NEWS:

Fara Williams

Fara Williams is one of England's best ever players, notching up a whopping 172 caps

Ready10/PA

"You train once a week and you play once a week."

Williams was speaking on behalf of Kind Snacks, adding: "Kind Snacks are partners with the England team, they are revealing a mosaic at Wembley showcasing all of the England teams, grassroots football, celebrating that, all the graft that then goes on behind the scenes before tournament football.

"So yeah, really excited to see that outside the home of Wembley because that is what we all play for."

You may like