by Adam Evans
DURING the Women and Sport Conference, Wales Women’s head coach Jayne Ludlow shed light on her route to playing at the elite level of women’s football at Arsenal.
Ludlow’s football journey did not have the best start. She played until the age of 12 but was then told that she could not carry on because of her gender.
“I was told because of no other reason than me being a female, I couldn’t play anymore,” she told the audience at USW Sport Park.
As a result of women’s football being non-existent during Ludlow’s childhood, she focused on athletics, with the support of her PE teacher.
The former Welsh international had a successful spell in junior athletics, breaking the British long jump record at under-17 level and also represented the UK at under 20’s level.
Ludlow admitted that she “enjoyed that part of [her] life”, but then went on to say, “it wasn’t exactly what I wanted”.
Ludlow also represented Wales at netball as well as basketball.
After ‘experimenting’ with other sports, she eventually found a route back into football, although it meant having to travel from her home town of Llwynypia to Barry Town; this was due to there being no female football teams within the South Wales valleys.
Ludlow is a physiotherapist by trade and explained that “it was through the educational route that took me up to London in the first place.”
Before beginning her 13 year spell at Arsenal, “the best club in the world for female football” the midfielder also played for Millwall Lionesses and Southampton Saints.
She was not a full-time player for the North London based club, her main role was medical officer as a result of her physio background.
Ludlow explained this meant: “We had an impact on the future generation with the roles we had there (Arsenal).”
Jayne Ludlow also made 61 appearances for Wales and scored 19 goals from the years 1996 to 2012.
