Beth Mead says football helped build her confidence as Arsenal star visits pan-disability kids’ team
BETH MEAD says she only expresses her true self on a football pitch.
The Arsenal star, 24, has opened-up on how sport helped her break down personal barriers after working with young disabled footballers this week.
Christmas came early for the Risborough Rangers pan-disability Junior Club when Mead surprised them with .
The phone includes a groundbreaking PocketVision app making it easier for partially sighted people to read text more clearly.
The England winger said: “Football helped build my confidence as a young girl.
“I’m actually working with some individuals at the moment to learn more about myself as a player.
“I’ve dug a bit deeper into how I am as a person off the pitch and how I am on it.
“I don’t actually realise that maybe I’m different when I’m playing until someone has actually picked up on it.
“When I’m on the grass I’m confident I show who I am as a person whether it’s in a shot that I take or a skill I do.
“It’s so important that sport is open to everyone and is helping these young disabled people build their own self-belief and leadership skills.”
Mead, from Whitby, North Yorkshire, is currently recovering from a badly bruised leg after a crunching tackle in the Gunners’ 3-1 win at Everton.
The table toppers have scored a whopping 73 goals in just 19 games across all competitions so far this season and it has been a landmark year for Mead.
She was part of the record breaking North London Derby in Novemeber which saw 31,213 fans at the new Tottenham Stadium – the highest ever WSL crowd.
And will cherish the memory of playing in front of over 77,000 fans at Wembley in the Lionesses' disappointing 2-1 defeat to Germany in the same month.
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The England star champions inclusivity in sport and has hailed the WSL for providing an open space for fans regardless of gender, disability, race or sexual orientation.
She said: “It’s a special environment in the women’s game. The WSL is incredible with players and fans meeting after every match.
“We play with heart and passion and we show them that off the pitch after the game as well.”
Mead has no time to intolerant attitudes in her sport and hopes more people will play with a smile on their face like the boys and girls of the Risborough Rangers Pan-disability Junior Club.
She said: “It was so nice to be a part of that special day surprising the kids.
“They’re incredible and they don’t take anything for granted I think that’s the way everybody should be looking towards life.
“They just have such a positive outlook on everything and this new smartphone has made them feel included.
“Sport is in our daily life so why shouldn’t they get to live and breathe it day in day out.”
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