Follow our 2024/25 Young Gun series as we get to know the academy youngsters kicking off their careers at Sobha Realty Training Centre.
Defender Sophia Leonard had a first year to remember when the academy side went a whole season unbeaten in 2023. Now, she chats to us about her achievements so far, becoming a right-back and playing international football.
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With an older brother and a dad who both love football, it was inevitable that I’d want to play too. I grew up playing with them both at home and then I got into Academy football quite early. I’d been at a team in Teddington since the age of seven before I joined Chelsea’s academy at nine. I was there for five years before I moved to Arsenal, starting out in the under-16s.
When I first joined Arsenal, it was such a pleasant surprise because the club is so welcoming. It’s a high-performing and competitive environment and at the end of the day, everyone wants to be the best player they can be, but that never ever comes in the way of the squad’s togetherness. It’s a unit. Everyone looks out for each other, and it doesn’t matter if you’ve been here for years or just a few weeks: you’re truly looked after. Even on a weekend when we’re not playing football, I’ll still see some of my friends from the team. We’re all so close.
"As a player, I'd say I'm quite relentless and I never give up"
My first year at the club, we went unbeaten for the entire season. We kicked things off by winning the Oakham tournament and then we went on to win the league and the FA Youth Cup, so that was a pretty amazing start to life at Arsenal!
As a player, I'd say I'm quite relentless and I never give up. If I lose the ball, I'm always willing to win it back, no matter what. Technically, one of my strengths is getting out of tight situations on the pitch. Whether that’s two-on-ones or even three-on-ones, I really enjoy passing or dribbling my way out.
I was originally a right-winger but as soon as I joined Arsenal, I settled into the right-back role instead. There are obviously a lot of similarities between the two positions but I think I've definitely become a lot stronger defensively since making the switch. I’ve also noticed that my crossing from deeper areas has developed too.
In my first season in the under-21s, I’m playing against older players so I need to take physicality and speed into account, but I also need to make sure my understanding of the game is the best it can be. Making sure the opposition doesn’t get past me isn’t just about how quick or strong I am. When I made the step up to the U21s, I was quite in shock at the start because it’s incredibly different, but I’m a lot more comfortable now. Right now, I’m about to head off to a tournament on Sunday for Euro qualifiers, which is hugely important to us.
There have been times in my career where I haven't been selected for a squad or I’m not getting as many starts as I’d hoped, but I think of myself as quite resilient in those situations. It just makes me work harder. My family do support me and have helped build that mindset, but I think a lot of that resilience comes from being in the academy system for around seven years now. Setbacks are something you get used to. You have to learn to roll with the punches and believe that your hard work will pay off.
I currently play at the youth level for Ireland and this is my second year there now. It was a big change initially, having to fly over and meet girls I’d never spoken to before, but it didn’t take long to settle in. I enjoy playing international football as well as club football because it means I get to play against so many different teams and styles of football.
This season, I want to qualify for the Euros with Ireland and for us to do as best as we can there. From a team perspective at Arsenal, I want to win the league and the cup as well, and as an individual player, I want to be as consistent as I can be within the squad, getting a good number of assists and maybe a few goals too!
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