Houghton: ‘You Must Pay Attention When Man City Comes Knocking’
These days, moving from Arsenal to Manchester City is a logical choice for many WSL players, with both clubs fiercely competing at the pinnacle of women’s football. However, back in 2013, the teams were worlds apart.
During the 2013 WSL season, Arsenal narrowly missed out on Champions League qualification, finishing in third place, while Manchester City received an automatic promotion to the first division for the 2014 season, irrespective of their 2013 results. While City was on the rise, Arsenal consistently demonstrated their capacity to win titles.
For Arsenal defender Steph Houghton, this disparity did little to lessen her excitement. Signing with Manchester City for the 2014 season meant Houghton was relinquishing her captaincy for a promising new venture.
Steph Houghton gave up her Arsenal captaincy to join Manchester City
“I was Arsenal captain and I really enjoyed it there, but when Man City come calling, you have to listen,” Houghton tells FourFourTwo. “Their men’s team was developing so much, I felt they were potentially going to do the same with the women’s team.”
“Once I’d listened to what they wanted to do, not just with the team but in and around the training ground and city, I bought into it. It was the ability to train every single day, too.”
Throughout her career, Houghton, who also played for Sunderland and Leeds Carnegie, captured eight trophies with Manchester City and was a league runner-up on seven additional occasions. Though she could have secured even more accolades at City, the silverware she did claim justifies her choice.
Even after retirement, Houghton actively enhanced her ability and conditioning by frequently training with the Manchester City U18s. During those sessions, she encountered a young Phil Foden.
“He was probably 14 and you knew he was going to make it,” Houghton reflects. “Trying to chase him around for 90 minutes was tough! But I loved it.”
“Only five or six of us trained full-time. Jason Wilcox was the Under-18s manager and he was really good with us, just treating us like the lads.”
In the opinion of FourFourTwo, Houghton stands as one of the finest players to have graced the pitch in England. Her significant contributions to various clubs, along with her steadfast role in England’s national team, attest to her legacy.
Making her debut in 2007 while with Sunderland, Houghton accrued 121 caps for her country, serving as captain in 72 of those matches. She was appointed captain by head coach Mark Sampson in 2014 but was no longer selected by Sarina Wiegman, with her last cap occurring in 2021.
