Steph Houghton Quotes

To walk out at Wembley in an England shirt is a big deal for a girl who remembers playing in her local football cage down the park in Poplar with the boys.

I realised my dream of playing for England when I first met Claire Taylor and then Charlotte Edwards at the age of 11. I didn't even know there was an England Women's team until then.

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.

For me looking at the success of some of the women's football World Cups, the crowds they've drawn, the spectacle it has created and the event that it's been I think it's really great cricket is having a go at that as well.

When I was growing up, you didn't know there was a women's national team. Now girls grow up dreaming of playing for Canada.

Growing up, I looked up to major league baseball players, and now these young women have amazing, incredible women all across the board, from swimming to gymnastics to softball to basketball. It is incredible how far women have come and women in sports have come.

Whether Under-17 level, the 21s, or senior team, it's my dream to play for England as often as I can.

I'm very privileged to be a professional footballer, and I want to encourage more young girls to play.

People were not even knowing that women's cricket existed. And from that phase to today where people would want to follow women's cricket, I think we have come a long way.

Playing for England is always the main priority.

I'd love to be captain of Tottenham and hopefully England as well.

Ever since I was kid, I dreamed of playing for England.

To put on an England top is a dream.

At Arsenal, we train for about two hours a day and are treated just the same as the men. It makes a big difference, and it gives young girls something to aim for.

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.

I've been to Wembley before to watch Liverpool and Everton in the FA Cup semi-final in 2012. I saw the atmosphere there, and I didn't ever think women's football would be played in front of those crowds in my time.

It just goes to show how much the women's game has improved over the years: there are some outstanding goalkeepers capable of fantastic reaction saves.

When I think back to what my dreams were as a kid, the only one I had was to play for England.

In my mind, women's basketball players are an untapped resource.

It's still my ambition to be at the top level and be playing for England - especially, like, a competition like the World Cup.

If I could, I'd change the way I came up through the football ranks. I'd love to have had an academy life the way the boys have it. I think female footballers would be so much better for having that opportunity, and we'd be more effective because we would be better players.

Playing in the Premier League meant it would be nice to play in the England team as well.

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

I think the legacy Ronda leaves behind is that she changed women's MMA.

Making my England debut was a massive achievement.