Lotte Wubben-Moy’s open letter after £600m school sport announcement

After helping England win Euro 2022, defender Lotte Wubben-Moy led calls for all young girls to be given the opportunity to play football at school. On Wednesday the UK government pledged to create equal school sport opportunities for girls. In an exclusive letter for BBC Sport, Wubben-Moy reflects on her journey and why the school sports pledge could be the Lionesses’ greatest victory.

When I was seven I would walk in the door from school and immediately leave again to go and play football in the street.

I would simply shout downstairs to my mum that I was off out to play and fly out of the door. She knew where I was – two streets over in our small neighbourhood in Bow, London. I would always return a couple of hours later, five friends and two grazed knees the richer.

I look back and can’t help but think how lucky I was to have found my place growing up. Football was part of my identity. It helped me find a clear path in one of the biggest cities in the world. I’d have been pretty lost without it.

I learned so much about the complexities of modern society and of the person I would become during those games in the streets. The jostling for who would play in goal, what was defined as a foul (and what often wasn’t), and the fighting for my place. I grew in confidence and motivation to constantly improve and it was incredibly empowering to hold my own against all the boys (not that I would have ever considered that at the time).

I do, however, remember thinking all the other girls in the local area were crazy not to join in playing with us. I couldn’t understand it. Why didn’t they want to earn the respect of other local kids our age? Or have the chance to make friends with kids from all over the area? In hindsight, I am sure many girls would have walked past us wishing they had the confidence to play along too.

Stories of battling to play reverberate around our Lionesses changing room. From playing in boys’ teams, to starting our own teams, to travelling continents to find adequate girls’ coaching, this was an experience many of us have lived and a battle we have all fought. It has shaped us, but we want better for the future.

Football has given me so much and I feel indebted to ensure it gives as much, if not more, to others. And that is exactly why we 23 Lionesses put pen to paper, writing to the prime minister in demand of equality. We were determined to ensure every young girl across the nation has equal access to football when they go to school. To ensure that our European Championship win could leave a legacy past last summer’s blurry few days of celebration and hoarsely singing ‘It’s Coming Home’ in Trafalgar Square.

I never for one moment thought it was possible to become a professional footballer all those years ago. No sooner would I have believed you if you’d said I’d be writing letters to the prime minister. But I’m part of a generation who knows no end to our dreams.

We dreamed of becoming European champions. We harbour dreams for this summer’s World Cup. And we also dream of a time when girls watch the Women’s Super League on a Sunday afternoon and run into school on a Monday morning ready for their shooting drills, emulating their heroes and dreaming with no limits.

This is another victory we now believe we have achieved. And perhaps it will grow to become our greatest victory. We will do everything in our power to ensure this is the case.