England legend Serena Guthrie on the importance of diversity in netball

Netball legend Serena Guthrie was the latest star guest to appear on the Gamechangers podcast.

With 110 international caps, the former England star is one of the nation’s most established netball players. She was part of the team that won the goosebump-inducing 2018 Commonwealth Games gold and she also captained the Roses to two World Cup bronze medal finishes.

Last month, Guthrie announced her retirement from the court as she prepares to enter a new chapter of her life: motherhood.

After debuting for the Roses in 2008, Guthrie went on to establish herself as one of the greatest and most influential netball players of all time.

The versatile centre quickly became a mainstay in the England national team until she was eventually rewarded with the role as captain.

The former Roses and Team Bath captain admitted the thing she will miss the most about her time on the court will be the camaraderie with her teammates.

As skipper, Guthrie was a vital part of all the teams she played in. Her skill and experience made her a key figure at both league and international level, and England wasn’t the only place she made a name for herself.

Guthrie spent a year with New Zealand outfit, the Northern Mystics, before moving to Australia to join Giants Netball. Her time overseas saw her flourish as both a player and a leader and it equipped her with everything she needed to return to England and become her country’s captain.

“The decision to go to Giants was a really tough one because I’d really enjoyed my time with the Mystics,” Guthrie reflected. “But I think you have to recognise what’s easy and what’s needed.

“I think as an athlete, it would have been a lot easier to stay in that environment, and I probably would have still