“That would have been the dream – to kind of drop the microphone and leave by winning a trophy with England,” says Steph Houghton as she reflects on a 22-year career that has seen her play for Sunderland, Leeds Carnegie, Arsenal and Manchester City. and winning three Women’s Super League titles, in addition to captaining the Lionesses at three major tournaments. “But I wouldn’t change that, because I think that’s what made me the person I am today.”
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The highlights live long in the memory. Houghton, who retired at the end of the season after announcing her decision in March, was instrumental in attracting the kind of attention that laid the foundation for a boom in the women’s game. Since Andréia Suntaque opened the scoring against 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 to be given a central contract by the Football Association in 2009, when many of the Lionesses were part-time.
“We really stuck together to try to make change,” says Houghton, who credits this period for her growth as a leader. “There hasn’t been any talk behind the scenes about a lot of hard work, about possibly not signing contracts to allow us to get something bigger and make the team more powerful. I think we were trying to change people’s perception of what we wanted. We have wanted to continue to use that standard for a long time.”
Alex Greenwood and Jen Beattie are on Houghton’s list of players she rates highly, but in terms of impact on her as a player she has particular praise for former England defender Laura Bassett, who, says Houghton, “allowed her to be herself “, a thread that ran all the way to the 2019 World Cup, where Houghton missed a penalty as the Lionesses lost to the USWNT in the semi-finals. “I think that was when I got the England captaincy [in 2014], I was 25-26, we were going to the 2015 World Cup. I had never captained the country in a tournament before where there were real expectations on us,” says Houghton. “Without hair [Bassett] I take a little pressure off and let myself be myself. I don’t think I would have lasted as long as England captain. I will be forever grateful for that. And I don’t think ‘Bass’ will ever really get the credit she deserves for what she did for the game.”
Due to an injury, Houghton was unable to finish her story about England. An Achilles tendon problem meant no place in the squad that won the European Championship in 2022, and the central defender also missed last year’s World Cup final. Houghton has not played for the Lionesses since 2021 and never played for Sarina Wiegman. She ended up with no fewer than 121 caps for her country.
Houghton was inducted into the National Football Museum’s Hall of Fame last week in recognition of her service to the sport. It was an honor that naturally led to reflection on her journey that began with growing up in Durham and being the only girl on her primary school team. “For [Arsenal] I always had to pay to play, I had a hand-me-down kit, you didn’t really get a training kit,” she says. “You had to bring your own stuff. We certainly never got boots, which is probably a given of the game now – that every player gets a boot deal, especially those who play internationally or for top clubs. I think the game has evolved a lot since I first started.
Houghton readily admits that she worked as a scout for Manchester City to help acquire the best talent for the club she joined from Arsenal in 2014. Jess Park and Lauren Hemp arrived at City as schoolgirls, while Houghton said she immediately called her agent after seeing the latter dribbling. with a whole team at a local school event. “When I first came, this building [Joie Stadium, home to City’s women and academy teams] wasn’t there,” says Houghton. “So my idea was to be here for the long term and be part of a project where we win and are one of the best clubs in Europe, from a women’s point of view.”
City will hold a special Q&A with Houghton, with proceeds going to the Darby Rimmer MND Foundation, which raises awareness of motor neuron disease. Houghton’s husband, former Liverpool and Bradford defender Stephen Darby, was diagnosed with ALS in 2018. The charity has raised more than £1.3 million to fund medical research as well as providing a support network for people diagnosed with the disease.
“When you have someone like Stephen with the condition he has, it puts things into perspective quite quickly,” says Houghton. “It’s time for me to put more energy into my family and be more part of Stephen’s life, being with him every day instead of leaving. But other than that we’re really good. Our mental state is good, we are positive and we are trying to compete as always.”
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The FA, UEFA and the Professional Footballers’ Association announced the first all-female cohort for the UEFA A License coaching badge on Friday. Houghton, Izzy Christiansen and 15 others are taking the 12-month course to give women opportunities in coaching. “After two days in St. George’s Park, working nine to seven, I thought, ‘Oh my God, I don’t know if I want to do this.’ It is a lot of hard work,” says Houghton. “But I’ve worked with so many great people, teammates and support staff, that it would be a bit of a miss if I didn’t use those experiences in some way, whether that’s on the grass or on a football field. higher level.”
Houghton isn’t sure yet whether or not she wants to go into coaching, but is confident women could soon play a bigger role in the men’s game. “We learn the same thing, we all know the game,” she emphasizes. “We all know that if you get this qualification you are at the same level as many coaches in the country.”
Houghton has been leading club and country for so long and gives the feeling of not knowing how to truly distance himself from the game. However, she emphasizes that she is looking forward to Sunday dinner, being with her nephews and “doing a little bit of everything”.