Athlete Stories - Lucy Staniforth
I guess football for me was inevitable. My dad played 15 seasons as a professional footballer, my brothers both played to a high standard so when I came into the world, I didn’t have much choice! Whether it was the good genes or the fact I was kicking a ball from the moment I could walk, it turned out I was pretty good.
My love for the game was instant and there was barely a moment that passed where I didn’t have a ball at my feet. It wasn’t until my family relocated to Alnwick in Northumberland, where I started to take football more seriously. In what now seems like fate, we moved into a house around the corner from Lucy Bronze. My mum was trying to find a team for me, as I was then too old to play in a boys’ team, she was told that Lucy’s mum was the best person to help. From then on Lucy & I spend hours on the pitch, practicing, knocking the ball to each other. I always remember when we started keeping count of how many kick ups we can do; we’d text each other straight away, desperate to beat the others score. Then there would be the indoor football tournaments we’d have in the house & end up exhausted, dripping in sweat. I played for a local team, Blyth Town with Lucy; we played against Jordan Nobbs and Demi Stokes in our league until we all went to play at Sunderland. I wasn’t sure about playing there as a Newcastle fan so I insisted on wearing my beloved Brazil shirt under my shirt to ease the feeling. From there I was scouted to play for England youth age groups and made my senior debut for Sunderland’s 1st team as soon as I turned 16. We made the FA Cup final that year, playing against Arsenal who were in the league above us and dominating. What a learning curve that was!
The next FA Cup final I played in turned out to be an even bigger test… I’d joined Bristol in 2013 and we had a great team. We made the FA Cup final, to play Arsenal again. I remember I could barely sleep the night before, I was so excited to play the game. We conceded early in the 1st half and then in the 2nd half, I experienced my first big injury in football. I went to control the ball and as my left foot planted, it buckled underneath me and I ruptured my ACL. I followed all the rehab procedure and as I was returning to play, I transferred to the reigning champions, Liverpool. I was determined to repay Matt Beard’s faith in me; but after playing in 2 games, I was training and ruptured my ACL again, this time on my right leg. Obviously as a professional athlete, it was devastating. I was down, lost and it all felt so unfair.
I’m so glad it happened. Before this, my ability had opened so many doors and experiences but I didn’t live and breathe the 24/7 athlete lifestyle. I’d cut corners, take the easy route as I knew I had ability. I was competitive on the pitch and would do anything to win but I didn’t realise that in order to win, I needed the same level of commitment when I wasn’t on a football pitch. In total, I probably was out of the game for over 2 years. I was part of the Liverpool squad which won the league in 2014, but didn’t play a minute. The injuries taught me so much and for that I’m a much better player and person. In the 5 years since my injuries, I have fine-tuned my training, pushed myself to levels that are necessary to be an elite athlete and achieved some of my dreams. Trust me, there were so many moments I was close to giving up.
I always remember a turning point in my career when I returned to Sunderland in 2016, I was back playing and finally felt like I was ready to push for more in my career. I was doing reasonably well but not competing at my top level and the England manager at the time, Mark Sampson, rang me. He’d been my manager at Bristol and had watched me in a few games. 2 things stood out from that phone call which made a massive difference in the following months. I needed to remember that I’d had 2 years out the game, I wasn’t a 24-year-old footballer; I had the playing experience of a 22-year-old. It may not make sense to some but knowing that immediately put me at ease. I had so much time on my side and so much opportunity ahead of me. The 2nd thing he said is that I wasn’t fit enough. Fine, time to work even harder. Then in another twist of fate, I met Paul Parker. For anyone that knows me, knows I’m quite sceptical of new S&C coaches, and Paul will vouch for this. However, as we started to work together I loved his dedication and knowledge. I had a new appetite to achieve one of my goals, to be selected for England, and Paul allowed me to achieve that.
If you’d have told me 4 years ago that I’d be an England regular and have played at a World Cup, I’d have laughed in your face. That’s how far away things seemed at times. Yet, as of Feb 2020 I have 15 caps for England and so much opportunity in front of me it’s actually a bit crazy. I don’t want to be satisfied with that though. When I look back at my career I want more stories, experiences and medals, ones that I’ve actually contributed to as well. I want to overcome my FA Cup final hurdle and win the trophy on the 3rd time of trying. I want to stick one top bins in the home Euros in 2021 and celebrate with all my friends and family who have given me unwavering support, throughout my career. And ultimately, I want to continue to be happy.
I always live by the mantra, “everything happens for a reason”. But if was to offer any advice to my younger self, I would say “Don’t be afraid to be who you are. Make mistakes, stand up for yourself and be extra competitive. Work bloody hard and don’t stop because you’re tired. Nothing worth having comes easy.”
Thanks for reading,
Lucy
