A Twitter thread from 2013 has resurfaced, which shows sportswear company Nike rejecting England star Lotte Wubben-Moy’s enquiry about getting sponsored. Wubben-Moy was part of the Lionesses Euro 2022 winning squad and has made eight England appearances so far to date. The Arsenal defender also came up with the idea of penning an open letter to the Prime Minister, demanding that girls be given the opportunity to play football at every school in the country. Wubben-Moy has become a national hero and an idol for aspiring young footballers across the country –– meaning brands will be queuing up to work with the 23-year-old. The Gunners star featured on the cover of ELLE UK in the build-up to the Euros as she showcased Nike’s clothing. However, one Twitter user pointed out that Nike said no to the chance to work with the Gunners star nine years ago and that she should remind them of that incident in brand meetings. SHOP OUR LEAH WILLIAMSON T-SHIRT TO CELEBRATE ENGLAND’S EURO 2022 WIN

Nike turned down chance to work with Wubben-Moy 

“Someone at Nike is wincing this morning,” the fan wrote.

“If I were Lotte Wubben-Moy I'd be looking at this Tweet now and laughing my head off...and definitely reminding them of it at brand meetings.” 

The user shared a screenshot of the Twitter thread from 2013, in which Wubben-Moy tags Nike and asks: “How do you get sponsored.” 

In response, the brand replied: “We don’t accept athlete sponsorship requests. Continue to develop and progress in your game to stand out above the rest.” 

Wubben-Moy, who was part of Arsenal’s youth team at the time, refused to take no for an answer and hit back by saying: “You sponsor Arsenal boys who are in u16s, [so] why don’t you sponsor girls who play for Arsenal.” 

Should Nike sponsor young female footballers? 

While Wubben-Moy was just 14 at the time of competing and didn’t make her debut until two years later, the Twitter thread raises an important question. 

Should brands be doing more to support and sponsor young female footballers, especially those who play for elite clubs? 

As Wubben-Moy pointed out, some brands are more than happy to sponsor junior boys, who are likely to become stars one day, so why can’t girls receive the same treatment?

With so much emphasis on making the women’s game equal to the men’s, addressing the lack of opportunities for aspiring young female footballers is just as vital as fixing the lack of parity at the elite level.