“When I joined Arsenal it was never about the money,” says Steph Houghton. “Now I look at those numbers and think ‘Oh my God.'”
In 2012, Houghton was one of the best women’s centre-backs in England, for which she was paid £4,000 a year by Arsenal, the country’s most successful women’s team at the time.
Bonuses and extra work as a part-time coach and club ambassador took that figure to £9,000.
“I was living in London, although I was lucky the club paid for the apartment,” Houghton, who won 121 caps for England and captained her country from 2014 to 2021, told BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast.
“At the same time, living off that and trying to save for a house, simple things that we all do as human beings, was pretty hard to do.”
Houghton, who retired from the game at the end of last season, is credited with helping change the course of women’s professional soccer.
In her autobiography Leading From The Back, the three-time Women’s Super League winner details the struggles she endured as she fought for better wages.
Today, some of the top WSL players are reported to earn hundreds of thousands of pounds., external one year.
It was a different story 12 years ago.
“I come from the north-east. My mum and dad didn’t have a lot of money and I’m from a working-class family,” Houghton told BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour on Friday.
“I come from a poor town [South Hetton]so for me money was never really a determining factor.
“But I had the opportunity to move to Arsenal. I wanted to go there and win trophies, I wanted to establish myself in the England team and play with the best players.”
Houghton, who joined Arsenal in 2010, was increasingly determined to fight back when it came to renegotiating her contract.
“Going in alone to talk about something was difficult because the guy I was talking to, Vic Akers, who is an absolute legend in women’s football, having that conversation with someone who brought you to the club was tough,” she adds.
“It was scary and discouraging. I was only 22, 23 years old then, very young in terms of not much experience.
“But I had to defend myself.”
Houghton became the first player to appear on the cover of Shoot magazine, was awarded an MBE and was awarded the Freedom of the City at Sunderland.
She also led England through a significant period of growth for the women’s game, managing increased scrutiny, expectations and media attention, as well as guiding the next generation.
football/articles/czj7kr3xvrjo”>Source link
