England Women train for Spain quarterfinals
Anita Asante, who won 71 caps for her country, believes that the increased profile of the women’s game presents difficult new challenges, especially with regard to social media.
Asante believes more attention to women’s play could lead to more abuse (Image: Getty)
The 37-year-old said that coming to Arsenal as a teenager was like playing for a Sunday team, and that environment forged strong characters. But today’s players are well-paid professionals turned high-profile celebrities, and Anita fears these could become less resilient individuals.
She says clubs and the FA need to do much more to support players in coping with social media success and growth.
“I think we were humble,” she said. “But being treated like some kind of celebrity can change how people are.”
The former defender hung up her shoes last season after a career that saw her win four FA Cups, numerous league titles and a European Cup. She also represented Team GB at the 2012 Olympics. She is involved in BBC coverage of the European Championship currently being played in England.
When asked about the modern game, Anita said there is still a long way to go before any kind of parity is reached in the sport. She said: “We often hear comparisons about the men’s and women’s games when they are in completely different places.
“When I started at Arsenal it was like a Sunday League team,” she said.
“We trained twice a week but couldn’t access the men’s training facilities. After a match we had to wash our own kits. Some of the girls juggled playing, working and taking care of a family.
“It was a great experience and created strong characters who were super committed. Today we are starting to lose the last players who remember those days. Now players share training facilities with the men’s team and have physios, dietitians and sports psychologists.
“They don’t have to worry about their kit being clean and they won’t run out of socks on match day!”
While Anita has no doubt that the current squad is just as committed to playing for their country, she suggests that the modern game could produce several characters.
“Today there are several distractions that take the game to another place,” she said. “It’s clear that social media has changed the game in many ways, not least the interaction with the fans.”
Anita, who has been targeted by trolls, recently spoke about online abuse. She said: “I didn’t grow up with social media, so it doesn’t affect me that much. But it’s definitely a distraction for younger players. There are some big names and there are some big games with a lot of pressure on people.
Asante started her football career at Arsenal (Image: Getty)
“Everyone who follows the sport is a commentator, they all have an opinion, so there are new challenges that come with the new level of control. I think the women’s game is still catching up on how the players can do best.” are supported and I don’t think it’s quite there yet.
“I think a lot of clubs are starting to use psychologists to build better resilience and protect the mental health of the players. It’s new to all of us, but it’s constant. The questions are how do you deal with it or not and I should definitely use you social media?”
Speaking about her recent retirement, Anita said: “I’ve enjoyed not having to train for the season, especially with this warm weather. I’m really enjoying the European Championship, but it’s strange to talk about players with whom I played together. I’m not afraid to be critical, but it’s important to be honest. I’m not the Roy Keane type!”
Anita speaks of her “proud” of what she has achieved on the field and how grateful she is that football has given her great opportunities and allowed her to “grow as a person”.
Asked about England’s prospects of winning Euro 2022, she said she is “super confident” they can make it all the way to the final. It’s their approach,” she said. “They play with so much maturity.”
The former international, who works with bed manufacturer Silentnight, revealed how she ensured a good night’s sleep before a big game. “I used to take my own pillows from home and spray them with lavender mist,” she said.
Throwing out the gadgets before bed and developing a good routine are also among Anita’s tips for a good night’s sleep.
“In this day and age, there are 101 distractions that can easily divert your attention from what you should be focusing on. At the very top of the list is technology, whether that’s your phone, iPad, or the TV.
“In my days playing for England, I made sure to switch everything off 30 minutes before bed. That was valuable time to help me determine what to really focus on at the end of the day – which is mostly about planning went to stop a forward movement around me.
“Routine, routine and more routine. As an international footballer, there was often a lot going on at once, from media duties to training and family, so developing a reliable routine that I could rely on night after night was key.
“I’ve always tried to go to bed at 10:30 PM every night and wake up around 7:30 AM every morning, giving me nine hours of sleep — which I thought was the perfect amount to perform at my peak.”
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