What's your training routine?
I train every day for two hours. On Monday, Wednesday and Friday, I do weight training and sprint training, and on Tuesday and Thursday I train with my team. It's tough on your body, so I normally try to sleep for as long as possible - up to midday sometimes - so I'm fresh going into the next game. It's intense, but it's my job. It's my life.
Is travel a big part of your work?
We're usually away one week out of every month, and we have the privilege of going to some amazing places. China, for instance. I'd never have dreamt of going there if I wasn't a footballer. It's amazing to see how women's football is received in other countries. In Germany, the female footballers are household names.
What does it feel like to score a goal?
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It's really hard to describe, because when you're in that victory moment, whether you're scoring a goal, or a hat-trick, or winning a big game, there is no better feeling. To play for your country in front of a big crowd, there's nothing better. If I didn't play football, I don't know where I'd get that sort of buzz. I'm also deeply competitive, so, no matter what, I always want to win. Even if I'm playing Monopoly with my family, I have to win.
How do you cope with the pressure on the pitch?
We often play in front of 25,000 people, but when I've got the ball, I don't think about it. If you were to try to comprehend that, you'd crumble under the pressure. I may be only 21, but I'd played in loads of games by the time I was 18, so I've got the experience behind me and now I feel ready to take on any challenge that comes my way.
How do you switch off after a match?
It takes a long time for me, especially after a midweek game. Sometimes I don't get to bed until about four or five in the morning, because of the adrenaline bubbling. I think about the game all the time, and that's what an athlete needs to do, otherwise you'll never improve.
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What has been your biggest challenge?
Breaking down the barrier and playing on a boys' team when I was six years old. The parents of the opposing team used to give me a lot of stick because I was the only girl. Parents are worse than kids sometimes. I now run my own soccer school for kids and I can often be teaching a class full of girls. Attitudes are changing, but it still needs to be encouraged more in schools and in the media.
How did you get through it?
I was lucky because my parents have always supported me in my football career, taking me to all my matches from a young age. And I've always had encouragement from my team-mates, so I never felt that I shouldn't be playing on the team.
How does it feel to be an athlete in a male-dominated sport?
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You get used to it. We're not trying to compete with the men, we're just trying to do what we do, be ourselves. Football is the fastest-growing sport for girls in the UK, and we are successful in our own right without the men. The media often compare our wages to the boys' teams, but we don't play for the money, we play for the love of the game.
While I was at Arsenal, we developed a good rapport with the men's team, players such as Theo Walcott and Thierry Henry were really supportive of us. That advice and encouragement really made a difference.
How do you like to relax?
There's no point being an athlete, being successful and not being able to enjoy it. I try to have a life outside of football, too. I'm a big music fan, I love going to concerts and I like clubbing, although I don't always drink. Sometimes I'll go out and be back by 10pm. But I'm not going to lie: I'm usually one of the last back home when we go out.
How would you describe your style?
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The thing with women's football is that people imagine that we all look like men, that we're these butch women with short, spiky hair. But it's not like that. If you look at the girls in our team, you see they actually look like girls. Off the pitch, I like to wear skinny jeans and dresses. I like going shopping and getting dressed up with my mates, like any other girl.