The Players

West Ham captain Gilly Flaherty and New Zealand international Ria Percival join Bex Smith for a look at the art of defending. They look at the unique pressure defenders face, explain the types of players they fear most and discuss the qualities needed to become a top class defender. The pair also talk about playing in major competitions at the age of just 15, and their love of baking!

In the week of the Champions League final, Chelsea manager Emma Hayes joins the podcast, along with current Brazil head coach Pia Sundhage. The pair discuss their respective philosophies and why they got into coaching, including the roles of geese, cooking and international politics. And Emma gives us an insight into how her Chelsea team have come to dominate this season.

Fresh from helping Northern Ireland reach their first major finals, captain Marissa Callaghan and record-appearance holder Julie Nelson join Bex Smith to discuss their achievements. They recall the national team restarting with a budget of £4,000, and meeting Mia Hamm and the USA team at the Algarve Cup in 2004. The pair then recount their dramatic qualification for Euro 2022 and look ahead to next summer's tournament and beyond.

Two of English football's ground-breakers join the podcast this week. Rachel Yankey and Karen Carney have the inside track on being part of Arsenal's quadruple winners, the challenges of punditry and the rise of the Women's Super League. We also hear from Rachel on minibuses, and meeting Thierry Henry in Selfridges.

This week we have two Scottish superstars on the podcast - Manchester City's Caroline Weir and Arsenal's Lisa Evans. We talk everything from, team trips abroad, playing on the boy's team, role models and Scottish humour.

On this week’s episode we hear from Orlando Pride team mates Ali Riley and Toni Pressley. The pair talk about their transition to veganism and the effects it has on their performances on and off the pitch. And listen out for a musical cameo from Toni’s fiancé, (one of the worlds best footballers) Marta!

Bex Smith is joined by Everton and Switzerland’s Alisha Lehmann and AC Milan player, Julia Simic from Germany. On this week's episode we talk about social media and the role it plays within football. We hear everything from speaking Swiss German, living their best lives and the mis conceptions around social media.

On this week's episode we shine a light on the ultimate team players, the ones who don't necessarily seek the spotlight and end up flying under the radar. Manchester City's Demi Stokes and Manchester United's Lucy Staniforth, join the podcast to tell us their stories and we hear everything from being fan girls, getting engaged and why Lucy Bronze's mum is the best.

On this week's podcast we have on two amazing guests, our first non-pro footballer, but none other than the women's Jamaican team ambassador and Bob Marley's eldest daughter, Cedella Marley, and the Reggae Girlz highest goal scorer Khadija Shaw. The Reggae Girlz made history in 2019 when they became the first Caribbean team to qualify for a women's football World Cup thanks to the undying support of Cedella - who's sponsored and supported the team since 2014. We hear everything from the inspiration of Bob Marley and the role of music in Cedella's life, growing up in Jamaica and their hopes for the team's future.

The Players is back!! And what better way to kick off season two than with the best player in the world, Lucy Bronze and England's most- capped international, Fara Williams. So what's it like being at the top, for these two formally "shy" players? We hear about drinking cups of tea outside the dressing room, mums in pods and how life isn't always what we think it is..... And will Lucy ever admit to being the world's best player? Don't forget - you can listen back to season one of the podcast, where you can hear episodes with, Jill Scott, Steph Houghton, Carli Lloyd, Hope Solo, Kelly Smith, Vivianne Miedema, Magda Eriksson, Pernille Harder and so many more!