Spotlight On: Leah Williamson

Photo: @LeahCWilliamson

Arsenal defender Leah Williamson turned 23 on Sunday 29th March and on Monday March 30th it marked six years since she made her Arsenal first-team debut.

So as she’s just turned 23 here are 23 facts you may or may not know about the Gunners star.

1 Williamson made her debut in a UEFA Women’s Champions League defeat to Birmingham City aged 17 coming on for Rachel Yankey.

2 She wears Shirt Number 6 for Arsenal previously wore the number 14 and still does for England.

3 Born in Milton Keynes, Williamson joined Arsenal’s Centre of excellence at the age of 9.

4 She has captained England at youth level.

5 Senior England debut- Williamson made her England debut away to Russia in June 2018

6 She made her first England start against Kazakhstan in a 6-0 win on 4th September 2018

7 First England goal- She scored her first England goal against Czech Republic In June 2019 to give Phil Neville’s side a 3-2 win.

8 Williamson won England’s Youth player of the year award in 2015.

9 She started as a central midfielder but since Joe Montemurro became manager at Arsenal has moved into centre-back.

10 In 2018/19 Williamson finished the season as Arsenal’s most active player on the ball with 1,501 touches to her name, as well as completing the most successful passes in the opposition’s half (591).

11 At the end of the 2014 season, she was named the League Cup Player of the Year, ahead of Jess Clarke from Notts County, Ji So-yun from Chelsea and Toni Duggan from Manchester City.

12 She was also named the 2014–15 PFA Young Women’s Player of the Year.

13 The defender made her 100th appearance for the Gunners last season in a 2-1 defeat to Chelsea.

14 Williamson made her 100th start game for the Gunners earlier this season in the Champions League vs ACF Fiorentina

15 Williamson scored her first Women’s Super League goal for Arsenal against Chelsea aged 17 on 4th September 2014.

16 She scored her last league goal in the 11-1 win against Bristol City in December but also scored in the Continental Cup final vs Chelsea in February.

17 She replaced Asisat Oshoala the 2016 FA Cup Final as Danielle Carter’s strike saw Arsenal beat Chelsea 1-0.

18 In January she registered 3 assists one against Birmingham and two against Brighton & Hove Albion.

19 Williamson has won a Trophy with England as she was part of England’s SheBelieves Cup Winning team playing against Japan in the process.

20 Arsenal Legend Ian Wright announced that Williamson was part of the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup squad.

21 That penalty- Williamson scored a penalty for her team in a qualifying match against Norway for the 2015 UEFA under-19 championship, which was ordered to be retaken five days after the original contest. In an unprecedented decision, UEFA had ordered the match to be restarted from the 96th minute.

Previously, on 4 April, Williamson’s successful penalty for England was disallowed for player encroachment, the game took place in Belfast at the home of Crusaders FC.

22 Arsenal’s number 6 has played 1,286 minutes this season and is the most used player in the Women’s Super League.

23 She helped Arsenal win their first WSL title in 7 years in 2018/19.

Photo: @LeahCWilliamson

 
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