𝙅𝙐𝙎𝙏 𝙉𝙊𝙒: 𝙄𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙜𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩 𝙟𝙤𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙩𝙪𝙙𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙄, 𝙇𝙚𝙖𝙝 𝙒𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙖𝙢𝙨𝙤𝙣, 𝙬𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙩𝙤𝙙𝙖𝙮 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙖 𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙞𝙣 𝙢𝙮 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚. 𝘼𝙛𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙮𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙨 𝙙𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙮 𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙚𝙧, 𝙄 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙢𝙮 𝙙𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙢𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙨. 𝙄 𝙖𝙢 𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙡𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙖 𝙣𝙚𝙬 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙛𝙪𝙡 𝙟𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙣𝙚𝙮 – 𝙈𝘼𝙍𝙍𝙄𝘼𝙂𝙀…

 

 

𝙅𝙐𝙎𝙏 𝙉𝙊𝙒: Leah Williamson – A New Chapter Begins

 

It is with great joy and overwhelming gratitude that I, Leah Williamson, write to you today to share a very special chapter in my life. After years devoted to my career—years filled with breathtaking triumphs, heartbreaking setbacks, unforgettable nights under stadium lights, and the indescribable privilege of representing club and country—I have arrived at a threshold I once wondered if I would ever be ready to cross. Football has demanded everything from me. It shaped my youth, guided my adulthood, healed me, challenged me, and even broke me in moments. But it also prepared me for something even more profound. Today, I stand ready—emotionally, spiritually, and fully—to embrace a new journey.

 

I am getting married.

 

Writing those words still feels surreal, like I’m whispering a dream only just realized. Marriage was always one of those distant ideas—beautiful in theory, elusive in timing. With the constant rhythm of fixtures, training sessions, travel, recovery, leadership responsibilities, and the enormous weight of dreams carried on my shoulders, I often tucked the idea away as something for “later.” But life, as I’ve learned over and over again, never waits for perfect timing. It brings the right people, the right moments, and the right miracles into your world exactly when your heart needs them most—whether you notice it right away or not.

 

This letter is my way of taking a breath, pausing amid everything, and letting you—my supporters, my extended family, the people who have carried me and cheered for me—into my heart.

 

Today, I want to tell you what this moment means to me, what the journey to this point has looked like, and why this chapter feels like both a culmination and a brand-new beginning.

 

 

—

 

A Career That Became a Calling

 

From the time I could walk, the football pitch became my playground, my sanctuary, and the place where I grew into the person I am. My childhood was defined by muddy boots, scraped knees, worn-out footballs, and dreams that felt far too big for the small pitches I practiced on. I can still remember looking up at the seniors—the power in their strides, the confidence in their touches, the fire in their eyes—and thinking, “One day, that will be me.”

 

As I grew older, the game stopped being only a game. It became a responsibility—a promise I made to myself, to the little girl inside me who dreamed without boundaries, to my family who believed when I doubted, to the teammates who trusted me, and to every young girl watching from the sidelines hoping to see herself on the pitch one day.

 

My professional years have been filled with everything you might imagine—intense pressure, unbelievable joy, sacrifice, loss, trophies, heartbreak, and the indescribable pride of wearing the armband for England. Lifting the Euros trophy remains one of the greatest honours of my life. Not because of the win itself—though the victory was monumental—but because of what it represented: unity, perseverance, belief, and the power of women standing together to write history.

 

But football also demanded parts of me I was hesitant to give. Time away from family. Celebrations missed. Birthdays spent packing bags. Injuries that tested not just my body but my spirit. Rehabilitation that felt endless. Moments of doubt that crept in quietly, settling in the spaces between my ambition and exhaustion.

 

Through it all, I had to learn to balance the Leah the world sees—the captain, the professional, the competitor—with the Leah who exists outside the stadium walls. The Leah who loves deeply, laughs loudly, cries quietly, and holds just as many dreams off the pitch as she does on it.

 

 

—

 

The Unexpected Arrival of Love

 

Love is a curious thing. It doesn’t always arrive with fireworks or fanfare. Sometimes it walks in softly, unnoticed at first, weaving itself gently into your life until one day you realize it has become the warmest part of your world.

 

I used to believe love required perfect timing—that I needed to be settled, stable, fully accomplished before welcoming someone into the chaos of my career. But it turns out love does not need perfection. It needs presence. It needs patience. It needs someone willing to understand the silent struggles, the late nights, the mental weight, the emotional rollercoasters, and the unspoken fears.

 

I found that person.

 

Someone who sees me—not the athlete, not the captain, not the public figure—but the woman behind all of that. The woman who sometimes gets overwhelmed. The woman who gets excited about little things. The woman who wants a life built on connection and meaning. Someone who understands that my heart belongs not just to the game, but to a future beyond it. Someone who supports my dreams but also reminds me that I’m allowed to dream outside the pitch too.

 

We met at a time when I wasn’t looking for anything serious. My focus was football. My vision was linear. But little by little, love found cracks in the walls I had built, and softened them—not by force, but simply by being steady, kind, and genuine.

 

It is in the quiet moments—the late-night conversations, the shared meals after long training days, the laughter that loosens the weight on my shoulders—that I realized I had found my person. My home.

 

 

—

 

Why Marriage, Why Now

 

Some might ask why now—why choose this moment, when my career is still active, demanding, and intense? Why step into a commitment so deep when life is already filled with responsibilities?

 

Because I’ve learned that life is fleeting, unpredictable, and far too precious to wait for perfect conditions. Because injuries taught me that plans can crumble overnight. Because leadership taught me that courage isn’t only needed on the pitch—it is needed in love as well. Because love, true love, is not a distraction. It is an anchor. It gives strength, clarity, and purpose.

 

And because choosing the person you want to build a life with is the most beautiful decision you can make.

 

I have spent my life chasing dreams on the pitch. But somewhere along the way, a new dream formed—one woven with companionship, trust, mutual respect, shared hopes, and everyday moments that carry more weight than any medal ever could.

 

I want a family someday. I want a home filled with laughter. I want to grow old with someone who sees me in every version of myself. I want to build a life I can look back on with pride not just for titles and accomplishments, but for love, connection, and meaning.

 

Marriage is not an escape from football. It is a foundation for life beyond it. It is a promise—to myself and to the person I love—that I am ready for partnership, for vulnerability, for joy in all its forms.

 

 

—

 

To My Fans – Thank You

 

Before anything else, I want to thank all of you who have walked this journey with me. You have seen me at my best and at my lowest. You have celebrated my highs louder than I could have imagined and stood by me through injury, recovery, and moments of uncertainty. You believed in me when I struggled to believe in myself.

 

And now, you are here at the beginning of a new chapter—one not defined by goals or tackles or trophies, but by love, commitment, and the courage to grow.

 

Your unwavering support has shaped me more than you know. It has taught me humility, strength, and the power of community. And I want you to know that you are part of this story too. This happiness I feel—this peace, this excitement—it is something I want to share with all of you, because you helped me become the person capable of embracing it.

 

 

—

 

Looking Ahead: Life, Love, and Football

 

Just because I am stepping into marriage does not mean I am stepping away from football. In fact, love has given me a renewed sense of purpose, grounding me in ways I never expected. Knowing I have someone who supports me wholeheartedly makes every challenge feel more manageable, every victory sweeter, and every setback more bearable.

 

I remain committed—to my team, to my craft, to the fans, and to the legacy I hope to leave in women’s football. But I also remain committed to myself, to my growth, and to building a life that is full—not just professionally, but personally.

 

There will be a wedding. And it will be beautiful—not because of extravagance, but because of meaning, intention, and the people who will be there to witness a beginning that has been written slowly, lovingly, and authentically.

 

I cannot wait to celebrate that day with those I cherish. And while parts of my life will always remain private, I promise to bring you along in spirit, through moments shared and stories told with honesty and gratitude.

 

 

—

 

A Final Word From My Heart

 

As I write this, I feel emotional in a way even football cannot replicate. This isn’t a victory I fought for, or a challenge I overcame through resilience. This is something gentler, sweeter—something that arrived because I opened my heart when I least expected to.

 

To be loved is a gift. To love is a privilege. And to choose someone—and be chosen in return—is the most profound experience I’ve ever known.

 

Thank you for allowing me to share this with you. Thank you for being a part of my life. And thank you for walking with me as I take this beautiful, terrifying, exhilarating step forward.

 

Here’s to love.

Here’s to growth.

Here’s to new beginnings.

Here’s to the next chapter—one I will embrace with all the joy, courage, and openness I possess.

 

With all my heart,

Leah Williamson