I've seen the facilities in Barcelona, and they are second to none. The women train with the men's team, and the facilities are out of this world.

Anyone who plays professional sport for a living is extremely lucky, and that's my overriding feeling - I believe I have the best job in the world!

At City, you'd see Pep chewing someone's ear off about football and think, 'Wow. I'd love to ask a question, but I'd probably be there for a week.'

For me, watching Sergio Aguero week in week out helps my game massively, and I'm sure the other girls would say the same about various other players.

In Spain, they're doing something right because the attendances keep creeping up, and teams are getting the opportunity to play at the men's stadiums.

There are a lot more teams in the Spanish league, and the biggest transformation came in the English women's league when the amount of teams got cut down.

Obviously, culturally, England's style of play is a lot more direct and physical. In Spain, they're a lot more patient, and they have the ball a lot more.

I've had a lot of success in England, and I've really enjoyed my time with Manchester City, but I wanted to challenge myself even further by playing abroad.

I like the way Luis Suarez plays. When I was growing up, I was a Liverpool fan, and I watched a lot of him when he came to Liverpool. He did a really good job.

I think when I first went to Man City, they weren't very professional. They were just starting out, and the men's team had just invested a lot into women's team.

I'm always bragging, always laughing with my Spain team-mates at Barcelona, saying I'll take 30 per cent possession and two goals - a win is a win. It's football.

Some of the games in Spain... we played at the Wanda, which was amazing, but then the next week, they're creating a penalty spot 10 minutes before the game starts.

We've actually played badly, and people are saying, 'Ah, we're so proud.' Is it just because we're the women's team? If that was the men, you wouldn't be saying that.

In England, I think we get about 30,000 for maybe an FA Cup final, and there are lots of kids on the seats, which is nice - don't get me wrong - but it's a calm atmosphere.

When people ask me, 'Should I earn the same money as the men?' No, I don't believe I should because they're on a bigger scale than me, they have more fans, are more popular.

In the past, you might have said, 'This player is technically not good - let's prey on her.' But now, the game is professional in most countries - you can't just play on that.

In the past, we might have lost a game, and you get fans messaging you, saying, 'Ah, don't worry, you've done so well,' and it can be a bit patronising, do you know what I mean?

In Spain, when we're successful, we're on the front page of the newspaper. Every newspaper. But when we lose, we're slated, the same as the men. That's the level the game is at.

Yes, I've worked very hard and made sacrifices along the way, but I'm in the very privileged position of doing something that I love every single day - and earning a living from it.

We've come a long way, but we've still got a long way to go, so we need to give our time to promote the game and be role models - to make the next generation see us and want to become us.

The biggest thing that I've noticed since the move to Barcelona was announced is just how positive the comments have been. It was not just in the mainstream media, but also on social media.

I used to look at my team-mates like Lindsay Johnson and Rachel Brown, who were full-time teachers and trained in the night. I was like, 'I'm not going to do that.' I always believed I'd go full time.

Hopefully, now there are kids, both male and female, even senior players, who open themselves up now and are more open to going abroad and playing their football. I've learnt so much, and they can, too.

I can remember, at the start of my career, there were reports of about 100 words here and there, and they would have got your name wrong or the name of the scorer wrong. It just wasn't taken seriously at all.

I loved playing in England. But after a few years, I didn't find it challenging enough. I wouldn't say I was bored, but it was becoming too repetitive - playing with and against the same players year after year.

From a personal point of view, you want to be playing in every game, but when you have to cope with the heat, the artificial surfaces, injuries, and tactics based around the coach's selection, you can't do it all.

I've been to Wembley before to watch Liverpool and Everton in the FA Cup semi-final in 2012. I saw the atmosphere there, and I didn't ever think women's football would be played in front of those crowds in my time.

When I look back to being a 10-year-old girl, I never could have dreamt of having this pathway. I feel very fortunate and proud, but I know I have to be part of creating new opportunities for the youth coming through.

If a club like Barcelona can do it, then why can't other clubs? It's amazing that we can be here alongside the men and the way everyone is integrated in the club. People aren't just walking past you going, 'Who's that?'

I'm very fortunate to have worked at two unbelievable clubs, Manchester City and Barcelona, and I feel like I've really changed the way I look at football from being around and in those environments, so I feel really privileged.

It was lucky I came from City; I'd say their philosophy is quite similar. Barcelona are a lot more advanced because they are the ones who created it, but they have a history of members of staff at Manchester City who worked here.

I think it is just something in my head that tells me to keep believing. Andy Spence, my manager at Everton, wrote me a little card before we came away and wrote at the bottom, 'Just remember, it only takes a second to score a goal.'

If I wasn't the sort of character that I am, if I was shy, I would have been intimidated by it. I stood up to it; I used to have arguments every day in the street. I was constantly told I wanted to be a boy. People used to say I was a boy.

It is all right having Atletico Madrid and Barca at the top, but what about teams like Tenerife who play on such bad pitches? These little things need to improve, but media-wise, Spanish women's football is a lot further along than in England.

Women's sport is embedded in the mainstream consciousness now, and that is a hugely positive thing. That's not to say that our sport can't get even more popular - because I think it can - but perceptions have definitely changed for the better.

When we speak about equality, you want to be playing on the best pitches with the best facilities. You want to be able to have a hot shower in the changing room. These are the things you need to get right if you want to be more professional on the pitch.

I've always been willing to get on the ball when I play for England. I've never hidden, but I'm more relaxed; my decision making is better because I'm calmer. Technically, it's a different level in Spain, and I've had to bring myself up to that at club level.

I think you've seen the likes of Liverpool, Chelsea, Man City - the top clubs - all now tapping into the women's market and developing that side of the club. It's great for women's football, and I look at how far we've come, and it's great to have teams like this.

They've been learning technique since they were babies. That's their focus and emphasis. For example, in England, the day after a game is usually a day off or some gentle warm-downs, but in Spain, we come in and do really intense passing drills and technical work.

In England, you might have a possession game of six v. six, and it's like headless chickens: people running around everywhere just trying to keep the ball and be strong in tackles. But in Spain, you always stay in your position. You're still in your shape for every drill.

I was embarrassed to be seen in my football tracksuit because they knew I'd been training. I used to cross the road to avoid people. It was really hard. There were so many awkward situations. I just hope young girls now are able to play football and not have to experience what I did.

It's great for the little girls coming through the system now to have women to look up to because, when I was younger, my role models were more, like, Michael Owen and players from the men's team, but I get kids messaging me now saying they look up to me, and that's really touching for me, but it's great for the kids to have people to look up to.

Share This Page