Football has given me some wonderful experiences. As a young Arab and Egyptian woman playing for Stoke City from 2017 to 2021 I broke barriers and that paved the way for some exciting opportunities. Fifa selected me as a 2022 World Cup ambassador and put me in a film with David Beckham; I also became an Adidas ambassador and worked as an Afcon pundit for the BBC.
But there have been less easy times as well. As an Egyptian international, representing a country that stands 95th in the Fifa rankings, there are obstacles to playing in the biggest leagues. Because of the points system for international players I left Stoke for the chance of playing second-tier football in Spain with Albacete. And since coming back to England, I’ve seen a world very distant from the new riches of the WSL.
My recent experience at Halifax in the third tier of the pyramid – the semi-pro Women’s National League Division One North – is a case in point. I’ve decided to write about it to highlight the difficulties faced at that level, particularly for those who come from abroad – on a student visa – and end up struggling to get by, often with nothing more than club expenses.
I initially moved to Halifax in February, for the last three months of the season, and scored six goals in 11 matches to help them stay in the division. I agreed to play for expenses which was fine as I was on a student visa and staying with family in Manchester. Over the summer, Halifax overhauled their squad but the manager, Rob Mitchell, wanted to keep me on, together with the two club captains. Initially I was reluctant to return because we couldn’t agree a basic package. But eventually we reached a verbal agreement – as is often the case at this level – and I bought a flight ticket and joined the team for their opening game, playing 45 minutes against Hull City on 17 August.
Unfortunately, the reality proved very different from conversations I’d had. Just as when I first joined Halifax in February, I had come over on a student visa, which means your club cannot pay a wage (and this being semi-pro that would be limited anyway). But we had discussed accommodation and expenses, for travel and food. There was also – as I believed from a conversation with one of the club directors – the promise of support from the club in finding a job, which would enable me to upgrade my visa.
The reality I encountered was a child’s bedroom in a scruffy-looking house in Rotherham, which I shared with two other players and a coach. It was an hour from the training ground. In the garden were pieces of broken furniture and bins that were overflowing. The wardrobe was dirty.
I’d initially been put up in a Travelodge in Bradford, close to the training ground, but when I complained about the Rotherham house there was no apology or offer to help me find an alternative place to stay. Instead, the attitude seemed to change completely. When, after two days, I moved out and found a hotel room for myself, the strong sense I got was that they thought I was ungrateful and negative. There was no attempt to help me further so on 31 August I flew back to Cairo.
Sarah Essam speaks at the women in sport conference at Stamford Bridge in June 2024. Photograph: Kate Green/Getty Images
I’ve lived in the UK before and studied for my degree in civil engineering at Derby University – so I wasn’t some homesick teenager suffering culture shock. I’d broken barriers as the first Egyptian to play at a good level in the English women’s pyramid. I’d showed hard work and resilience too. There was a period during my time at Stoke when players on student visas were banned in the third tier and I could only play for the reserve team for three years until the Home Office categorised the division as semi-pro. But this experience has left a sour taste.
There are some good people at the club, including Rob, the manager, but I feel deeply let down and undermined by one director in particular. While my complaints led to an internal investigation, that concluded with the club offering me just a small goodwill payment – to be paid once I have returned the training kit the club gave me.
Why am I writing this? To underline that for those of us from low-ranked nations chasing the dream, football really can be a struggle. I am lucky because I am 26 and have some experience of the world. But what if that experience had happened to a teenage girl, newly arrived in England? For me, it raises questions about the packages in place for players coming from other countries. Clubs have a duty of care, even the semi-pro ones.
As for what comes next for me, I am back training with my old club, Wadi Degla, in Cairo while considering offers – including one from a team in Italy. I would love to play in the UK again one day but only in a serious environment. Hopefully it will happen again one day as, despite this setback, that Egyptian girl who arrived in England in the same year as Mo Salah joined Liverpool has certainly not lost any of her ambition.
A couple of days before heading to Halifax I was on a stage in Cairo with Geremi Njitap, president of Fifpro Africa, and Egyptian football legend Magdy Abdelghany receiving an award for my achievements, including being the first Egyptian woman to play professionally in Spain. I don’t want that to be my last.
Response from Halifax Women: We take the welfare of all our players seriously and made every effort to support Sarah during her time at Halifax Women. Accommodation was offered as a goodwill gesture, transport and meals were provided, and no contractual obligations were in place. Her concerns were reviewed thoroughly, and support was found to have been offered within the limits of her visa and our agreed arrangements.
Talking points
Barcelona’s hotshots: After putting seven past Bayern Munich in their opening Champions League fixture, Barcelona won 6-0 at previously unbeaten Atlético Madrid on Sunday. With 37 goals from seven domestic fixtures, Pere Romeu’s team are averaging 5.3 goals a game in the Liga F (the WSL’s leading scorers, Manchester City, have 17 from six matches). Spare a thought then for Roma, Barcelona’s Champions League opponents on Wednesday. They lost 6-2 at Real Madrid last week, yet that could prove the frying pan before the fire.
Laia Aleixandri is mobbed by her Barcelona teammates in their heavy victory over Atlético Madrid. Photograph: Oscar Manuel Sanchez/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock
Para Lionesses take silver: England’s women’s blind team are back home from India after finishing as runners-up at the IBSA (International Blind Sports Federation) world championship. Tony Larkin’s Para Lionesses lost Saturday’s final 2-0 against Argentina but had previously won their group – beating Poland (2-0) and India (2-1) and drawing with Brazil (1-1) – and then overcome Japan on penalties after a goalless semi-final. Megan Smithson-Booth scored all five of England’s goals in Kerala and Alicia Grimmond’s efforts earned her recognition as the best goalkeeper at the tournament.
Quote of the day
They are big-time players now, they play like it’s just another pitch in another surrounding. We probably actually had a little bit more of an advantage because Everton don’t usually play here, whereas for us it’s another stadium for us to visit and try and win. It’s a really, really lovely stadium” – Manchester United’s head coach, Marc Skinner, after the first WSL fixture at Everton’s new Hill Dickinson home – a 4-1 victory for the visitors in front of 18,154 spectators.
Melvine Malard celebrates scoring for United against Everton. Photograph: Poppy Townson/MUFC/Manchester United/Getty ImagesRecommended viewing
Anyone seeking an example of how to address a huddle of footballers should watch this clip of Simone Charley speaking to her Orlando Pride teammates. Charley is inspirational in the NWSL, having recently scored her first goal since recovering from a double achilles rupture – first to her left achilles in April 2023, then to her right early last year.
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