A decade ago the women’s football landscape was almost unrecognisable with no professional women’s teams and academies being hard to come by.
Without a proper academy football structure feeding into the game, players like Apollon Ladies’ Rio Hardy, Charlton Athletic Women’s Ella Powell and Sheffield United Women’s Ocean Rolandsen had to travel far and wide to progress in the sport.
“If you’re involved in women’s football, you understand the dedication it requires because we’ve all had the same story. We’ve all had to play for boys teams and travel unbelievable amounts of distances just to get some quality football,” says Hardy.
Ten years on and the three women, represented by the aptly-named Next Gen Sport Solutions Ltd., are evolving into the next generation of role models in a world where women’s football now exists in a full-time, professional capacity.
Overcoming obstacles
Despite all three players experiencing early success in their careers, it hasn’t been a seamless transition to turning professional and their response to adversity, particularly over the last year amidst the coronavirus outbreak, is an inspiring story to tell the younger generation of sportswomen.
Rolandsen, 22, was offered a January lifeline by The FA Women’s Championship side Sheffield United Women after her former club Watford Women couldn’t continue their matches in The FA Women’s National League under lockdown restrictions.
The former England youth international and Chelsea academy player knew that the move north was essential to her development through playing regular football at a higher level.
“I’m just grateful to actually have an opportunity to play. I technically lost a year of my career due to Covid-19 and it got to a point where I didn’t really want that to happen again,” Rolandsen says.
Whilst also affected by lockdown implications, Powell’s greatest set-back has manifested itself through injury.
The Welsh international has been out of action since the beginning of November after seriously damaging four ligaments in her ankle but has adjusted her mental attitude to keep her impending recovery on track.
“I’ve had a lot of time out and that’s been really frustrating because it really does halt your momentum,” explains Powell.
“The biggest thing is to not forget your end goal. If you don’t lose sight of that end goal, which obviously for me was getting back on the pitch, then you’ll stay disciplined and motivated.”
Lastly, Hardy’s challenges lie less on the pitch and more in the form of being away from home.
Despite being away from her family, Hardy has her twin sister, Steffi, close by with both players moving to Cypriot side Apollon Ladies in 2019 after a stint in Iceland with Grindavik.
The Cumbrian twins were unattached footballers after leaving the Icelandic side before securing a move to Cyprus with Next Gen’s support. They both enjoyed a fantastic debut season at Apollon Ladies with Rio scoring a crucial goal to secure the league title & UEFA Champions League qualification.
From Cumbria to The Champions League for @riohardy_ & @SteffiHardy…
Take a listen below 👇
— Next Gen Sport Solutions Ltd. (@NextGen_Sports) January 18, 2021
Moving overseas has been the right career move for Hardy but the extended time away from her family is taking its toll: “It’s been more than a year since I’ve been at home. Christmas 2019 was the last time I saw my family.
“It’s been really difficult, but of course I’ve got my twin sister with me so that makes it a little bit easier. Everybody at the club is really welcoming to us and try to make us feel more at home.”
Promising potential
Representing your country is the pinnacle for every player so it’s no surprise Powell’s first senior international cap for Wales was her career highlight to date and meant a lot to both herself and her family.
The 21-year-old forward hopes to return to the national team following her injury setback as well as working hard towards her ultimate goal of a professional contract at club level.
“I want to get back to representing my national team as consistently as I can,” says Powell.
“First, I feel like I really need to get some consistency in my club performances and then signing my first professional contract is something that I want to keep working towards day in and day out.”
As Sheffield United Women seek promotion to top-flight women’s football, Rolandsen is aiming to grow as a player whilst chasing the chance at playing in the The FA Women’s Super League.
Rolandsen says: “Now that I’m settled in within Sheffield, I see my worth as a player and see the improvements that I can make within myself.
“Obviously my dream is to play WSL football or, if not, then definitely at a professional level. Hopefully I can spend my time at Sheffield and get promoted and be in the WSL because the team is absolutely outstanding.”
With Apollon Ladies qualifying for the UEFA Champions League, an aspect which drew Hardy to the Cypriot side, she is now considering her next steps in football.
She and twin Steffi share a rare career trajectory in that they have always played for the same team, whether in England, the United States, Iceland or Cyprus.
However, the 24-year-old will not rule out representing a different side to her sister, particularly if the chance to join a top tier English club were to arise.
“We’ve never ruled out playing for different teams,” mentions Hardy.
“It’s something we’ve spoken about and we’ve said that if someone gets an opportunity we’re not going to hold each other back.
“It’s my dream to play in England. To play in the top division in your own country is something you dream about ever since you were a kid.”
When asked about which WSL teams could be a good fit for the forward, Hardy highlights her long-standing support for a leading northern side.
“As a Manchester United fan, now that they have a women’s team sorted that would be my dream move,” adds Hardy.
Shared drive
After making the endless sacrifices to progress in women’s football, Hardy, Powell and Rolandsen all share the determination to reach the highest level.
Their agent and managing director of Next Gen Sport Solutions Ltd., Reece Land, stresses their mutual drive to excel in the sport.
“There’s a common theme here, which is commitment,” says Land.
“We’ve got Ocean four hours away from home, Ella is four hours away from Cardiff and we’ve got Rio who is four hours away on a plane. That just shows the commitment and the desire.”
As they navigate through both the pandemic and injuries, all three players are building their careers in yet another defining decade for women’s football.
With the anticipated broadcast of WSL matches by the likes of BBC and Sky Sports next season, 2021 is set to further transform the exciting sports platform.