Quickfire Questions with Rachel Yankey

Lionesses legend Rachel Yankey OBE sat down with UCFB to talk through some questions about her career in the game and her advice for UCFB students wanting a career in football and sports.

Rachel, who gained 129 caps for England throughout her illustrious career, joined us as part of our annual Future Leaders Conference, held at the Home of England, St George’s Park.

During her time with us, she sat on a panel alongside former England men’s player Matthew Upson and current England men’s assistant manager Anthony Barry.

At St George’s Park, Rachel spoke with us about her career and what she has learned across her years working in the game.

What has been the standout moment of your career?

There’s been a few. Winning the FA Cup with Fulham; With Arsenal, winning the quadruple, which no other team has done; Obviously playing for England, I’d say where I became only the second women to achieve 100 England caps.

Biggest disappointment of your career and how did you overcome it?

My biggest disappointment has to be getting dropped for England in 2009. I was totally shocked not to be in that squad. That was tough to handle. I think self-belief and a good trust with my club manager helped me through that.

What is the best thing about working in football?

Every day is different and there’s always a new challenge.

How important is education for former professional footballers and athletes?

Education is huge with athletes. The thing with football is you never know when you might have to retire. Having something to fall back on is quite healthy. We were semi-professional, so we used to have to have other jobs. I’d play on the Sunday, and on Monday morning, I was working with kids.

How do you deal with relocating?

It can be difficult. I played out in Montreal, which is French speaking. I think what got me through it was having a team, and that constant surrounding. I’d advise any students relocating to find an environment where you can make new friends and network.

Can you sum up life as a footballer in one word?

Rollercoaster. 

Find out more about the UCFB Future Leaders Conference, which offered our students incredible insight into the world of football and sport.

You can also view a UCFB prospectus to find out more about our courses, campuses and everything about studying with us.