Training With Casey Stoney

When Hackney Laces met Casey Stoney at a WSFF conference, we never thought that she would offer to take one of our training sessions. But she did. And last night we had the pleasure of hosting her.With over 100 caps for her country, Casey, former captain of the England squad currently plays for Arsenal ladies. She is a pioneer of the sport, growing up in a time where there were extremely limited opportunities for women in football. Playing for the local boys team was her only option as an 11 year old, and washing the men's kit at arsenal as a source of income when's she started playing for the team. She has now gone on to make history, being the first female member of the Professional Footballers' Association's Management Committee. She is incredibly generous with her time, knowledge and experience, as shown last night to us.After a solid training session, Casey barely made it to the car park when the girls huddled round and asked 'when will she come back'. We were all smitten with her football talent and her grounded approach to being the best she can. It was so inspiring.