Steph Houghton is one of the world's leading female athletes – a pioneer of the modern women's football game.

As captain of Manchester City and the England international team, Houghton has won almost all the silverware there is to win.

Which is exactly why the best of the best must maintain their elite level status and lead by example on the pitch.

As an ambassador for STATSports, a leading football GPS tracking device, Houghton is already working to take her performance to a new level.

"The opportunity to join STATSports was something I couldn’t really turn down," she told GiveMeSport Women. "For the athlete that I am and my interests in sports science and the strength and conditioning side of things, it was something I was really interested in.

"I’ve seen how popular the product is over the last few years and how important it is in football – so for me it was a no brainer."

Steph Houghton

As a five-time FA Cup winner and the holder of three Women's Super League champions' medals, Houghton is a glowing example of what it's like to be successful in sport.

The defender has been in the professional game for almost two decades – starting off at Sunderland before going on to win trophies with both Arsenal and Manchester City.

Houghton has also led her country out at multiple major tournaments. She guided the Lionesses to bronze during the 2015 World Cup and has taken part in two Olympic Games. 

Steph Houghton Team GB

"The margins are so small in terms of success and failure. Your preparation is something that can win or lose you games.

"For me individually, I feel as though it [STATSports] has pushed my game on so much more because I know exactly what I’m doing every single training session. I know what my metrics are every single week, how many high speed runs I need to do for Man City.

"I can also try to always be at that level where if I needed to be playing for England and I need to be up against the best player in the world – my training replicates those kind of scenarios."

Steph Houghton

Houghton admitted before STATSports, she’d never used wearable technology that could provide her with such accurate and in-depth statistics on her training performances.

But the defender isn’t the only elite level athlete representing the STATSports brand. Houghton’s fellow England internationals Harry Kane, Raheem Sterling, and Phil Foden among others have been showcasing the FIFA approved GPS Tracker for more intense training sessions.

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"We’ve not got a bad team, have we?” Houghton laughed. “Harry Kane, England captain and one of the best strikers in the world, Raheem Sterling who was a bit of a hero over the summer – there’s quite a few of us that have joined.

"We know how important it is and how much benefit we’re going to have – not just for ourselves but for young people looking up to those types of role models and wanting to invest in it as well."

Steph Houghton is an ambassador for STATSports, one of the world leaders in GPS sports technology. Their Apex Athlete Series is available for athletes at every level from STATSports.com