Kelly Lindsey: The former footballer who has transformed women’s lives across the world

Former football player Kelly Lindsey is the next inspiring guest to feature on The Game Changers podcast.

Lindsey starred for the US national team as a player, but was forced to retire at just 23-years-old following a succession of injuries.

She moved onto coaching, holding roles in the US, Hong Kong, Afghanistan and Morocco. Last year, Lindsey was appointed as performance director at Lewes FC, the first gender equal football club in the world.

Lindsey may have worked in football all over the world, but her journey started in Nebraska in the United States. She described how she wanted to follow in the footsteps of her older brother and take to the football pitch.

“I was only four years old,” she said. “So when they went to sign me up, I wasn’t old enough to start playing. They said I had to wait one more year unless my dad would coach.

“My dad is not a soccer guy. He was not a coach, but he became my first football coach. And he led me all the way into high school.”

It’s a good thing Lindsey’s dad took on the hard task of becoming a football coach. His daughter went on to become the first draft pick for the Women’s United Soccer Association in 2001.

After she was selected by San Jose CyberRays, Lindsey played in the league for three years, but was then forced to retire due to persistent knee injuries.

“You know when you can’t get out of bed at night to go to the bathroom, when you can’t actually sit and get up, you feel like you’re 90 years old when you’re only in your early twenties,” Lindsey recalled.

“I just sort of hit that phase of my life of like, is it worth it? Am I gonna be able to walk when I’m older? Can I keep doing this? How much longer?

“And so about midway through that season, I called my head coach. I