Arsenal: Leah Williamson’s top 5 career moments so far

As Leah Williamson celebrates her 25th birthday, GiveMeSport Women takes a closer look at her outstanding career so far. 

The Arsenal and England star has established herself as one of the leading players in women’s football and has recently captained the national team. 

Adept at playing in both defence and midfield, Williamson is widely seen as an irreplaceable figure for both the Lionesses and the Gunners. 

Having enjoyed so much success already, we’ve ranked her top five moments to date:

Williamson started at Rushen & Diamonds when she was six years old but moved to Arsenal, aged nine, to join their Centre of Excellence.

Eight years later, a teenage Williamson made her senior debut when she came on as an 81st-minute substitute for Gunners legend Rachel Yankey in a 2-0 defeat to Birmingham City.

That same year, Williamson became a first-team regular and made 25 appearances in all competitions. 

Having made her FA WSL debut on April 16th, 2014, against Notts County, Williamson claimed her first major trophy only months later when Arsenal won the FA Women’s Cup. 

Williamson, who was still a midfielder at this point, came on in the 76th minute for Jade Bailey as the Gunners beat Everton 2-0. 

At the end of the 2014 season, Williamson was also named the League Cup Player of the Year, ahead of Jess Clarke, Ji So-yun and Toni Duggan. 

Ahead of the 2015 Women’s Super League campaign, Williamson signed her first professional contract, aged 18. 

Shortly after, she was named the 2014/15 PFA Young Women’s Player of the Year. 

Subsequent winners of the award have included Williamson’s Arsenal teammate Beth Mead, Chelsea’s Jess Carter, and Manchester City duo Georgia Stanway and Lauren Hemp.

Happy birthday to you, @leahcwilliamson