Rachel Yankey was arguably the most well-known female footballer of her time – and now she’s helping to nurture the talent of the next generation.
The 38-year-old earned a then-record 119 England caps during her playing career and won countless honours with Arsenal and Fulham.
She made a name for herself courtesy of her sweet left foot and exquisite wing play which consistently had fans on the edge of their seats.
Indeed, former Lionesses team-mate Karen Carney cites Yankey as her idol, although the north Londoner does not accept that mantle lightly.
Yankey said: “I never looked at myself as a role model. I played football because I enjoyed it. What would I have done without football? I’m not quite sure.
“Football was my escape. It was where I could go to express myself. I wasn’t perfect but I tried to play the game in the best way I could.
“Whenever I spoke to other players or managers about the game it was pure passion that was coming out.
“Maybe there wasn’t too many high-profile women’s players when I was playing, but young girls now know there’s a pathway there for them if they want it.
“They can aspire to be the next Steph Houghton or Jodie Taylor and I think that’s great. There’s a long way to go but we’re going in the right direction."
Yankey, who recently became a mother for the first time, set up her own coaching company in 2004 and takes a great deal of enjoyment from passing on her wisdom in schools.
And to celebrate Girls’ Football Week, Yankey was a special guest at The Annunciation primary school in Edgware as they hosted a girls-only FA Lidl Skills session on Monday.
Lidl have overseen a 91 per cent growth in girls’ participation in their programme since they became an official FA partner in November 2015.
Yankey helped out in the session, answered the girls’ questions and visited every classroom before lunch.
She said: “When I was at primary school we never had any outside coaches or players coming in to coach us.
“That’s why I set up my own coaching business, because I wanted to work in primary schools and with young players. I wanted to give back some of the life skills that I’ve learned through football.
“So things like FA Lidl Skills, going into schools and working with kids, is great.
“It’s about getting children to think. You might not get the next England international coming out of one of the sessions, but it’s not about that.
“You can help them develop different skills, both in football and how to learn and take on information, which could be crucial in their future jobs.
“There is so much you can learn from sport that can help you in the wider world.”
The Annunciation pupils did not know Yankey the player; they knew her as the star of CBeebies’ ‘Footy Pups’.
She added: “It’s great to be able to educate children in a fun way.
“So many people have sent me messages and videos of their kids playing football in the garden.
“Being on the programme helps to break down barriers and helps to change opinions. When I was at school I was constantly being told that girls shouldn’t play football.
“But someone sent me a message on Twitter on Sunday. His son was practising how to kick a ball. When he asked him what he was doing, the son replied: 'I’m practising how to kick the ball. Rachel Yankey taught me'.
“When I was growing up I never had any female role models in football.
“I think it’s great that young boys and girls now have the chance to look up to a female player as much as my generation would have looked up to a male player.”
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