{"id":212542,"date":"2025-10-14T11:02:10","date_gmt":"2025-10-14T11:02:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/212542\/"},"modified":"2025-10-14T11:02:10","modified_gmt":"2025-10-14T11:02:10","slug":"egypt-to-england-what-happened-when-i-pursued-my-football-dream-sport","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/212542\/","title":{"rendered":"Egypt to England: what happened when I pursued my football dream | Sport"},"content":{"rendered":"

Football has given me some wonderful experiences. As a young Arab and Egyptian woman<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n

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\u2019ve seen a world very distant from the new riches of the WSL.<\/p>\n

My recent experience at Halifax in the third tier of the pyramid \u2013 the semi-pro Women\u2019s National League Division One North \u2013 is a case in point. I\u2019ve decided to write about it to highlight the difficulties faced at that level, particularly for those who come from abroad \u2013 on a student visa \u2013 and end up struggling to get by, often with nothing more than club expenses.<\/p>\n

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\u2019t agree a basic package. But eventually we reached a verbal agreement \u2013 as is often the case at this level \u2013 and I bought a flight ticket and joined the team for their opening game, playing 45 minutes against Hull City on 17 August.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, the reality proved very different from conversations I\u2019d 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 \u2013 as I believed from a conversation with one of the club directors \u2013 the promise of support from the club in finding a job, which would enable me to upgrade my visa.<\/p>\n

The reality I encountered was a child\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

I\u2019d 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.<\/p>\n

Sarah Essam speaks at the women in sport conference at Stamford Bridge in June 2024. Photograph: Kate Green\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve lived in the UK before and studied for my degree in civil engineering at Derby University \u2013 so I wasn\u2019t some homesick teenager suffering culture shock. I\u2019d broken barriers as the first Egyptian to play at a good level in the English women\u2019s pyramid. I\u2019d 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.<\/p>\n

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 \u2013 to be paid once I have returned the training kit the club gave me.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

As for what comes next for me, I am back training with my old club, Wadi Degla, in Cairo while considering offers \u2013 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.<\/p>\n

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\u2019t want that to be my last.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Talking points<\/p>\n

Barcelona\u2019s hotshots: After putting seven past Bayern Munich in their opening Champions League fixture, Barcelona won 6-0 at previously unbeaten Atl\u00e9tico Madrid on Sunday. With 37 goals from seven domestic fixtures, Pere Romeu\u2019s team are averaging 5.3 goals a game in the Liga F (the WSL\u2019s leading scorers, Manchester City, have 17 from six matches). Spare a thought then for Roma, Barcelona\u2019s Champions League opponents on Wednesday. They lost 6-2 at Real Madrid last week, yet that could prove the frying pan before the fire.<\/p>\n

Laia Aleixandri is mobbed by her Barcelona teammates in their heavy victory over Atl\u00e9tico Madrid. Photograph: Oscar Manuel Sanchez\/ZUMA Press Wire\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n

Para Lionesses take silver: England\u2019s women\u2019s blind team are back home from India after finishing as runners-up at the IBSA (International Blind Sports Federation) world championship. Tony Larkin\u2019s Para Lionesses lost Saturday\u2019s final 2-0 against Argentina but had previously won their group \u2013 beating Poland (2-0) and India (2-1) and drawing with Brazil (1-1) \u2013 and then overcome Japan on penalties after a goalless semi-final. Megan Smithson-Booth scored all five of England\u2019s goals in Kerala and Alicia Grimmond\u2019s efforts earned her recognition as the best goalkeeper at the tournament.<\/p>\n

Quote of the day<\/p>\n

They are big-time players now, they play like it\u2019s just another pitch in another surrounding. We probably actually had a little bit more of an advantage because Everton don\u2019t usually play here, whereas for us it\u2019s another stadium for us to visit and try and win. It\u2019s a really, really lovely stadium\u201d \u2013 Manchester United\u2019s head coach, Marc Skinner, after the first WSL fixture at Everton\u2019s new Hill Dickinson home \u2013 a 4-1 victory<\/a> for the visitors in front of 18,154 spectators.<\/p>\n

Melvine Malard celebrates scoring for United against Everton. Photograph: Poppy Townson\/MUFC\/Manchester United\/Getty ImagesRecommended viewing<\/p>\n

Anyone seeking an example of how to address a huddle of footballers should watch this clip<\/a> 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<\/a> \u2013 first to her left achilles in April 2023, then to her right early last year.<\/p>\n

Still want more?<\/p>\n

Captain, leader, legend: a tribute to Milly Bright<\/a> following her retirement from international football.<\/p>\n

Come and get your latest WSL talking points<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Here you go. Composite: Guardian Pictures; WSL Football\/Getty Images; Alamy; Getty Images<\/p>\n

Read Suzanne Wrack\u2019s interview with WSL referee Emily Heaslip<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Denver Summit\u2019s Nick Cushing talks to Tom Garry about building an NWSL club from scratch<\/a>.<\/p>\n

And Tom also assesses Disney+\u2019s coverage of the Champions League<\/a>.<\/p>\n