'Connection between the players and a union'
One player with vast experience to share is five-time Champions League winner Lucy Bronze. Now at Chelsea, the 33-year-old England international has played at numerous top clubs including Barcelona, Manchester City and Lyon to name but a few, and has witnessed firsthand the accelerated development of women’s football in recent times.
"I'm in a position where I've helped grow things in England or at clubs that I've been at, to give advice or to help other players in other nations’ leagues," says Bronze. "Sharing all these different experiences is important because there's things that people from different backgrounds do a lot better than I do. I enjoy listening to other people’s experiences and learning how they do things."
"Players view things from a different lens depending on where they come from and the kind of league they’re playing in," explains Nigeria international Rasheedat Ajibade.
After finishing her club season with Atletico Madrid, Ajibade is now preparing for the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco this July.
"I’m coming from an African perspective where the game is still developing and you need to learn from people that are at a high standard and see what they're doing to improve the structure we have in Nigeria."
Real Madrid’s Scottish midfielder Caroline Weir participated in the Women’s Player Summit for the first time. Weir, who has over a century of international appearances for her country, highlights the importance of players engaging with their union.
"Having the conversations we think can help progress the women's game, and doing it with FIFPRO, is so important. To have that connection between the players and a union to implement positive change can keep the game growing the way it's growing," says Weir.
