The stars of the FIFA Women’s World Cup are taking part in the biggest standalone women’s event in history - an inspirational story in its own right.
Women’s football has consistently made waves over the past decade and has rightfully earned the respect of football fans across the globe, with growing attendance and popularity akin to that.
However, many of these stars have had to work incredibly hard beyond their sporting careers in order to help grow the sport to what it is today.
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A recent report conducted by FIFpro found that 66 per cent of the players representing their nation in Australia and New Zealand have had to take unpaid leave or paid holiday from another workplace in order to compete in the tournament.
That’s two-thirds of the stars who are juggling second jobs in order to make it as a footballer, as per The Athletic.
While many are also setting themselves up for life after football.
There’s no doubt these women’s players deserve to focus purely on their careers, however, we’d like to shine a light on a few of these players who put in the work off the pitch in order to chase their dreams.
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Katrina Gorry
The star midfielder has spent much of her career playing domestically, while having brief stints in the United States, Japan, and currently in Sweden.
She has been an instrumental part of the Matildas for a decade now, however, playing much of her career in Australia has at times meant she has needed to find work on the side.
She, like many others, often had to find additional work after suffering injuries.
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She told AAP: “I’ve always had a job during the season if I wasn’t overseas.
“It was definitely an income thing (and) to have a different pathway in case something did happen.
“I worked at a high school close to my house two years ago, doing admin and teacher aide stuff.
“It’s a nice way to talk to different people, it’s a nice getaway from football to talk to people that don’t live in the football world.”
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Beth England
The English striker has been an integral and consistent part of the WSL since its inception in 2011.
However, in her first season when she was just 17 years of age, England was juggling her football career with the Doncaster Rovers Belles, with education and a part-time job.
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She was studying for her A-Levels while also working at a fish and chip shop in Barnsley.
Earning just $290 (£150) a week as a footballer, she spent her Friday and Saturday nights in a chippy in order to supplement her football career.
In her early years as a footballer in England’s top division, she worked in a bakery, a factory, an Indian restaurant, and in the British retailer Marks & Spencer.
In January 2023, her move to Tottenham Hotspur from Chelsea for a reported fee of £250,000 (A$481,000) broke the record for a domestic women’s football transfer.
On top of that, she was part of the England squad that secured European success in 2022.
And even though she is finding plenty of success as a footballer, she is still studying family law part-time as she gears up for life away from sport.
Caitlin Foord
The Matildas’ number nine is a bonafide striking superstar featuring in the Women’s Super League for Arsenal.
However, during her time in the W-League, Foord was often having to look for part-time gigs outside of football in order to top up her income.
During the 2017/18 campaign with Sydney FC, she took on a part-time role as a physio’s aide, while she has also had to supplement her career when injuries hit.
Foord also signed up as an Uber driver to drive people around Wollongong.
But, that only lasted 48 hours.
In 2019, she told AAP: “I worked a Friday and Saturday night. One person recognised me, a friend of a friend. She said ‘uhh Caitlin what are you doing?’”
Lucy Bronze
Lucy Bronze has had quite the career - a European championship winner, and stints for some of the best clubs in the world: Liverpool, Lyon, Manchester City, and now Barcelona.
The fullback has been part of the English set-up since she was 16, however, she has had to take up a number of jobs in order to support her career.
While she was playing for Everton and Liverpool between 2010 and 2014 she found herself juggling jobs at Domino’s and as a member of bar staff in Leeds.
She told The Telegraph back in 2017 that she had considered leaving football due to huge debt and repeated knee injuries that saw her miss two years' worth of games.
Thankfully, she persisted and has had a startling career resurgence, however, in an interview with OK! she reflected on the difficulties of juggling another job on top of a football career.
She said: "A lot of players in the WSL still work another job and a lot of players have given up as there's more money being a teacher. It's a lot of stress trying to manage being a footballer with a regular job.
"It is frustrating. It's not something we'll ever get used to. We're painted to be professional sports people and you play in leagues where the perception is that everyone is professional, but if everyone was professional the standard would go up."
The Domino’s restaurant she worked at was renamed ‘Lucy’s’ following her Euro triumph with England.
Featured Image Credit: PA Images / Alamy. Sipa US / Alamy.Topics: Womens World Cup, Football, Womens Football