There’s a lot of lot of amazing things happening in terms of the reach now, but there’s also so many things behind the scenes now which need to be picked up on and improved for the longevity and sustainability of the game.
On the surface there’s been great fandom and increases in attendances, but it’s important for us as fellow footballers to be aware of what they’re going through.
Back in June I went to Amsterdam for the Women’s Football Summit run by Fifpro, the global players’ union.
You get to hear from and speak to people from all corners of football and it’s so good to be able to learn from experiences and just seeing what’s possible.
There’s been some amazing success stories where people have really pushed for change, managed to get there and seen the game in their part of the world really thrive. All that because of that personal resilience that might have started with a handful of people, maybe just one person.
It’s quite inspirational and, who knows, maybe the administrative or governance of football is something I could go into. I never would have thought about it before last year, but I’m so passionate about these topics, about women’s football and the future of the game, that I’ve found myself advocating for more and more.
Perhaps it’s a path for me after football, but it is nice that while I’ve got a voice as a player to be able to use it, whether it’s with Fifpro or on other stages.
Not that I’ve started thinking about retirement, especially when we all hope we’ve got something to achieve with Wales. I’ve had a good pre-season, feel ready for these two games – and then we’re straight into the start of the WSL.
It’s going to be a busy time, especially in October when we’ve got our second two Nations League fixtures and a lot of games for club and country.