Former Lionesses captain Steph Houghton reveals the shockingly low pay she received as a women’s footballer at Arsenal – despite being the best centre back in the country
- Steph Houghton was considered one of the best defenders of her generation
- Houghton won two WSL titles and two FA Cups during three years at Arsenal
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Steph Houghton has opened up about her fight for equality in women’s football and revealed the shockingly low pay she received at times during her career.
Houghton, 36, was regarded as one of the greatest defenders of her generation and represented Sunderland, Leeds Carnegie, Arsenal and Manchester City during an illustrious spell in the game.
The former centre-back – who won three WSL titles – also made 121 appearances for England and captained Lionesses, while appearing at three World Cups and two European Championships.
Despite her qualities as a player, Houghton explains in an interview with The Guardian how this was not always reflected in her salary.
Houghton even revealed that in 2012 – during a period when she was rated as England’s best centre-back and won the WSL and FA Cup twice with Arsenal – she was paid an annual wage of just £4,000 by the Gunners.
Steph Houghton has revealed the shockingly low pay she sometimes received during her career
Houghton explained that 12 years ago, when she worked at Arsenal, her annual salary was £4,000
The former centre-back captained Lionesses and made 121 appearances for her country
Bonus options were offered, with Houghton doing some extra work as a part-time coach and club ambassador, but even when these came in, the 36-year-old’s annual salary only rose to £9,000.
“Arsenal were the best club in England and that was their level,” she said. ‘Money was never really a motivation for me.
“It was all about playing for Arsenal and winning trophies, but when you meet people who have a lot more experience of what you should be earning, you think: ‘Okay, things have to change.’”
‘When I looked at what [England’s men] I got commercial deals that really opened my eyes.
‘The men and women play for the national teams of the same country and yet they get fifteen times more than us. How is that fair? I got the bit between my teeth and thought, “Okay, we have to do something about that.”
“That’s probably what I’m most proud of when it comes to the things we did off the field: to change the way companies thought about us as athletes and to stop them from taking the piss.”
Houghton left Arsenal in 2014 to join Man City, where she made 233 appearances for the club over a ten-year period.
Houghton left Arsenal in 2014 and enjoyed ten successful years at Manchester City
The 36-year-old played an important role in the fight for equality in women’s football
She won eight trophies with City, while also leading the Lionesses to third place at the 2015 World Cup.
Before that tournament, Houghton had been instrumental in ensuring the side received bonuses for their performances.
Houghton – who also represented Team GB at the 2012 and 2020 Olympic Games – retired at the end of last season and was honored by the Lionesses ahead of last month’s friendly against Germany at Wembley, where she was hailed as ‘one of the England’s most inspiring players. of this generation’.
