Hinderwell’s finest forward. Word on the street is that she’s on fire (?!?!). There’s only one candidate it could be.
Marva Kreel (@marvamsk) joined AOF x Budweiser to catch up with Beth Mead MBE about all things football. Equipped with a classic reworked item embroidered with career and personal highlights, we spoke to Mead about being rugby tackled by Rachel Daly, the family of Arsenal, and *checks notes* catching up with Messi and Rapinoe over a Bud?
Beth Mead is a household name and for a good reason. The first female footballer to win sports personality of the year, a golden boot winner, a proud Gooner. With six goals and four assists in the Euros, there’s probably no chant more fitting than Beth Mead’s On Fire, and probably no better feeling than hearing an entire stadium belt it in your honour.
Speaking on the Euros, Mead speaks of the fact that ‘everyday [the Lionesses] seem to grow and grow’. Well, she’s not wrong. After being part of those summer 2022 celebrations, and watching that legacy roll over into the World Cup 2023 spirit, we can’t help but to agree. With that in mind, it seems like a non- negotiable that we’d have Meado and Beth Mead’s on Fire stitched into the bag. Just a small reminder of the extent of England’s universal appreciation for every goalkeeper’s worst nightmare.
Representing England is something that most people only dream of. With a legacy number of 204 stitched into her bag, it’s an achievement that most will never experience first hand. For Mead, it’s a reality that ‘never gets old’, but points out that it’s still important to remember the people who came before you. The people who paved the way. So it’s even better when you look at the bigger picture and realise that for generations to come, Mead is one of those pioneers. The future is bright. That being said, Mead highlights that, if she was going to catch up with footballers dead or alive over a Budweiser in the pub, it would have to be Messi and Rapinoe. Understandable, to be honest.
A Gooner since 2017, Mead highlights the team as her ‘home away from home’, and showcases raw pride in discussing how all the girls are there for the love of the sport. It’s every players dream to play the sport you love, for work, surrounded by the people you love. For Mead it’s a reality, as the product of resilience and passion. So it’s very little wonder why she’s a role model for so many.
Mead embodies not just a sensational striker, but an icon to reinvigorate the football spirit of the UK. After being announced in the 23/24 Champions League squad, the reaction says it all. People are itching to see this northern sensation on the pitch, and we can’t blame them.