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The Lionesses win against Germany last month wasn’t just a victory on pitch, but a pivotal moment for female equality off pitch too. And as Sarina Wiegman watched Chloe Kelly score the winning goal, crowning the Lionesses as champions of Europe, the England football manager no doubt reflected on how times had changed from her own football youth. Speaking to The Times on Sunday, Wiegman confessed to cutting her hair short at aged 6 in order to play football alongside her twin brother, with women being unable to play for a team in Holland at the time: “My fellow players thought this was fine; they considered me one of the guys. Sometimes the opponent noticed, but most of the time this was no problem. Still, one of my goals was disallowed because they found out I was a girl. I found that very difficult.” Despite the vast progress made since then, the UEFA Women’s European Cup 2022 nevertheless stood as a crucial moment in women’s history: providing a platform for females in sport and inspiring other young girls to purse their own dreams of competing at the same level as men. It served both as a reminder of how far we’ve come, and just how far we still have to go.
Most importantly, the Lionesses win has started conversations. LinkedIn’s sponsorship of UEFA’s Women’s Euro and their ‘Follow In Her Footsteps’ campaign is based on the idea that ‘It’s easier to be what you can see’. Speaking to the Guardian, Mia, 14, who plays for AFC Wimbledon said: “Women’s football has really grown now, it wasn’t like that before. When you play in school, the boys don’t really want to play with you to be fair, like they don’t really pass. They were quite cocky. But now, people actually realise women’s football is a thing and it’s good. And it’s a good quality, good level. I think this whole competition will help with equality.” Certainly, the public showcasing and elevation of female football has allowed girls to envision their own successful sporting careers: careers that in Wiegman’s day were almost unimaginable.
However, the ‘Follow In Her Footsteps’ campaign has also worked to shine a light on the necessity to support women in pursuing their dreams whatever those dreams may look like and introduced us to ‘the women who have created real change in not just the game they love, but the attitudes of people all over the world’. The tagline #FollowInHerFootsteps has seen LinkedIn celebrating females worldwide. Most importantly, the tagline seems to finally be going some way in showing young girls that they really can be whoever they want to be and sparking conversations, at school, at home, in the workplace, that will allow us to drive a more equitable world of work: both for ourselves and the future generation of trailblazers.
At Red, we’re proud sponsors of our very own cubs, or mini-Lionesses, at Wimborne Town FC Girls. Check them out for yourselves by clicking on the links below, who knows – you may even spot one or two of them in England’s 2026 team!