Steph Houghton Quotes

It's great for the little girls coming through the system now to have women to look up to because, when I was younger, my role models were more, like, Michael Owen and players from the men's team, but I get kids messaging me now saying they look up to me, and that's really touching for me, but it's great for the kids to have people to look up to.

I think obviously the media need to help promote the game and make it bigger so the younger girls have women role models to look up to and try and aspire to instead of just male footballers.

When the Olympics and World Cups come around, that's when you see the real outpouring of support that there really is for female football.

That's the awesome part. Little girls now have a chance to look up and see women playing soccer, basketball, softball and now hockey - and know they can win a gold medal, too.

A lot of young women play soccer, and it's wonderful to give them something to aspire to.

As players, we need to try to inspire young girls to keep playing because, at grass roots, we need more girls playing football.

I think it's important that we try to showcase what we're about as women footballers.

People will say, 'Who are your role models, and who are your pioneers?' And the first person that comes to my mind is Billie Jean King because we didn't have women that we could watch when I was growing up.

Female goalkeepers are seen as equals in academies now. We're trying to set a good example for the younger boys so they're used to seeing us women around, making great saves and scoring great goals.

I don't call myself a women's footballer; I say I'm a footballer.

When I was a kid, the women like Mia Hamm and Brandi Chastain were paving the way for female players in the States. Things like that are important so girls realise there is a future for them if they want to play. It is something they can aspire to, to be not just a hobby.

When I was really young, the women's national team wasn't on a grand media stage, so my role models were male basketball and male American football players.

When I was growing up, there were very few women athletes. I remember watching Olga Corbett, but Peggy Fleming and Janet Lynn were my role models. I never dreamt that I could be at that level. I remember thinking they seemed so elegant and regal and powerful and feminine.

When I started boxing, people laughed at me and said, 'What can women do in boxing?' I took it as a challenge. If men can do it, why can't women? And I became a world champion before my marriage.

I believe that athletes - especially female athletes in the world's leading sport for women - should serve as role models.

How many women's football matches are selling out week in, week out, 20,000 plus? They're not.

It's a dream that we, as women footballers, get to play in the same stadium as the men.

Women are the same. We watch football; we play football. Why wouldn't we be out there giving our opinions on the sport, too?

As a former college athlete, I know the importance of sports in the lives of women and girls, and I couldn't be more thrilled to join forces with NWSL and U.S. Soccer to ensure professional women athletes are elevated as the entire country can watch and be inspired by their strength and athleticism.

I'm enormously proud that I can do a deal with the National Women's Soccer League to showcase the power and passion of women athletes as positive role models, not only for my daughter but also for my son.

Women's sport is changing all the time, no matter what role you play. No matter what part you play in a football club, women are getting a lot more opportunities, which is really positive.

When you talk about the ambition to get more girls to play at a younger age, they are inspired by watching Toni Duggan and Steph Houghton playing, either live or by watching it on television.

I think that what's happening is that girls are enjoying playing. It's a lot more acceptable, and now we have a Women's Super League with hugely dedicated female role models - really committed players who people can see are dedicated and training as hard if not harder than any male players - that's all progressing the sport.

Just normalising the idea of women playing football is a massive part of what we need to do.

Little girls need someone to look up to - and little boys need strong women to look up to, as well. I don't think your heroes should be relegated to someone who's the same sex or from the same background as you. Little boys should grow up wanting to be like Serena Williams.