As Leah Williamson celebrates her 25th birthday, GiveMeSport Women takes a closer look at her outstanding career so far. The Arsenal and England star has established herself as one of the leading players in women’s football and has recently captained the national team. Adept at playing in both defence and midfield, Williamson is widely seen as an irreplaceable figure for both the Lionesses and the Gunners. Having enjoyed so much success already, we’ve ranked her top five moments to date:


Gunners debut

Williamson started at Rushen & Diamonds when she was six years old but moved to Arsenal, aged nine, to join their Centre of Excellence.

Eight years later, a teenage Williamson made her senior debut when she came on as an 81st-minute substitute for Gunners legend Rachel Yankey in a 2-0 defeat to Birmingham City.

That same year, Williamson became a first-team regular and made 25 appearances in all competitions. 

LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 23: Leah Williamson of Arsenal during the UEFA Women's Champions League Quarter Final First Leg match between Arsenal WFC and VfL Wolfsburg at on March 23, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)

LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 23: Leah Williamson of Arsenal during the UEFA Women's Champions League Quarter Final First Leg match between Arsenal WFC and VfL Wolfsburg at on March 23, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)

First silverware with Arsenal 

Having made her FA WSL debut on April 16th, 2014, against Notts County, Williamson claimed her first major trophy only months later when Arsenal won the FA Women’s Cup. 

Williamson, who was still a midfielder at this point, came on in the 76th minute for Jade Bailey as the Gunners beat Everton 2-0. 

At the end of the 2014 season, Williamson was also named the League Cup Player of the Year, ahead of Jess Clarke, Ji So-yun and Toni Duggan. 

Young Women’s Player of the Year 

Ahead of the 2015 Women’s Super League campaign, Williamson signed her first professional contract, aged 18. 

Shortly after, she was named the 2014/15 PFA Young Women’s Player of the Year. 

Subsequent winners of the award have included Williamson’s Arsenal teammate Beth Mead, Chelsea’s Jess Carter, and Manchester City duo Georgia Stanway and Lauren Hemp.

Winning the WSL 

After Joe Montemurro took charge of the Gunners, Williamson was converted to a centre-back –– a position she has since made her own. 

During the 2018/19 season, the 25-year-old played a starring role in defence as Arsenal went on to win the WSL for the first time in seven years. 

Williamson also surpassed the milestone of 100 appearances for Arsenal at the age of just 21. 

Speaking about winning the title, Williamson said: "I came here when I was 9 and we were winning the league every year and it was all I ever wanted, to win the league with Arsenal. 

“I guess I thought I would walk into the team one day and it would just happen. But the game has developed so much and the competition is so fierce, to win that out there is absolutely unbelievable. I thought it might come sooner, but the wait has made it sweeter."

England captaincy

Having made her England debut in 2018, Williamson has made almost 30 appearances for the Lionesses and three for Great Britain at the Tokyo Olympics. 

In September 2021, England boss Sarina Wiegman named Williamson as the captain for the FIFA World Cup qualifier against North Macedonia at St Mary’s Stadium. 

The Lionesses won the match 8-0, with Ellen White and Beth England both scored twice. 

Wiegman is yet to name her captain for the upcoming Women’s Euros, which gets underway this summer.