Athlete

When I was going off to training and matches at Arsenal, my mum wouldn't be on the side cheering me on: she'd be working so I'd have football boots. I saw that you had to work hard if you wanted to do anything in life.

Football made me want to train and stay disciplined. It kept me away from things like drugs. Young people are faced with the temptation to stray all the time.

I remember when I first got into the England side, going to meet ups where you were just doing a job, you were almost looking to go back to your clubs as soon as you arrived. That changed. The Lionesses got the feel of a club; it was a place you wanted to be, a set-up you couldn't wait to join.

The U.S.A. have a 'football arrogance,' which means winning is in their DNA - nothing else is good enough.

My dad left home when I was super young, so it was my mum bringing me and my brother up.

Although more teams are going full-time professional and there's more money involved, our main incentive is simply to play for the love of the game.

Some people don't like change. Some embrace it. But the way it's going - not just in football, but in society generally - it's more diverse. People want freshness.

During the 2012 Olympics, I decided to put on some cheesy pop because I knew Ellen White liked it. The first song was 'Reach for the Stars' by S Club 7, and before I knew it, everyone was singing it - suddenly it was our song.

Being away with a national side at a tournament can be hard - you train, go back to your hotel, and often, you sit in your room, watching TV or speaking to people at home. If there's no communal area, it can feel like being in prison, staring at the same four walls all the time.

When I finished playing, I didn't think I would be able to replace the buzz you feel at kick-off, but when the light on top of the camera turns red, and you're about to go live to the nation, it is a very similar feeling.

When things don't happen in my life, I believe that I've been pushed into another path for a reason, and there's a bigger picture.

I don't get wrapped up in the politics of going down to win a penalty or getting an opponent sent off.

Every player has their own story, but I always thought of playing on my estate with dreams of what I might be able to achieve.

I don't like to make comparisons between former managers because they all bring a unique style.