This Arsenal winger is helping break down barriers after struggling to find a team in her childhood, as she continues to pave the way as a famed Lioness and WSL goal-poacher

Lionesses and Arsenal heroine Beth Mead’s footballing beginnings were not all plain sailing – but they’ve created a player with very little left to prove. Mead’s rise from North Yorkshire obscurity to a talismanic figure in North London has seen her lift a Women’s Super League title and Women’s League Cup while ascending to national fame after claiming the first major trophy won by any England senior side since 1966 in 2022.

While this may have been enough for some, even a potentially career-ending ACL injury couldn’t cull the fire that burns inside Mead, who is looking to break down more barriers than she already has, with a WSL title race to play out and a pressure-filed Euros on the horizon.

“I struggled to find a women’s football team or a girl’s football team when I was younger,” Mead admitted, while attending a McDonald’s Fun Football session where she inspired young children. “I think I’m quite jealous at the fact these kids have got such easy access,…