Mead on team spirit, diversity and support

We recently caught up with Beth Mead for the Manchester City Women issue of our match day programme.

Read the interview in full below, as Beth discusses togetherness, the Invincibles and more.

First up, Beth, what do you think is the most important ingredient of a team?

It comes in a lot of different forms, I think. You can have togetherness on the pitch when you know through every kick of a ball, every tackle and every moment that every single one of your team-mates is there, and I think it showed last season when we went through a really, really tough time as a team because we had a lot of injuries.

I think it’s very cliched when teams turn around and say, “We’ve got togetherness in this team,” because sometimes you don’t see it, but I think last season there was a lot of personal stuff going on off the pitch for different individuals and we were down to the bare minimum as a team, but we were putting in unbelievable performances and the players were showing up and stepping up to the challenge still knowing that they had the rest of the team around them.

I think that shows the togetherness we’ve had through adversity. You know, we didn’t sit and rest on our laurels saying, “We can’t do this, we haven’t got key players, we haven’t got this.” We have trust in every single person in the team and I think that really showed on and off the pitch last season and again this season. It’s already been up and down season so far, but I think over recent years the team has been one of the most together that I’ve ever been a part of. I’ve been here for seven years now, so that’s saying a lot.

"You've always got to remember your roots and where you came from"

What does team spirit mean to you?

Good people, good energy, trust and belief. It’s about people as a collective and as individuals knowing the right things to do and say at the right times. It’s about being a good person and I think that’s why we’ve been able to stick together and shine as a team in testing moments.

Tell us about the first team you played for? Are you still in touch with anyone from that side?

My first team was called California Girls. Based in Middlesbrough, not California, unfortunately. But I very much still catch up with a few of the girls from that team every now and then. They didn’t quite make it in the footballing world, but it’s so nice to see them because I think you’ve always got to remember your roots and where you came from. I also played for the boys team and a few of them have kept in touch over the years too. You’ve got to remember where you started because they helped me along the way and I’ve got some really special memories from my time at the club.

Back to Arsenal, it’s clearly such a tight- knit squad. Who are you closest to?

I’m a very lucky person because I feel like I’ve got so many people who are genuinely looking out for me and I consider them to be very, very good friends. Losing my mum over the past year, the team were there for me every single step of the way. But obviously Viv, as my partner and team-mate, has been an incredible rock for me over the past year to 18 months.

Then I’ve known Leah Williamson since I was 13 and we were actually reminiscing the other day about that. Leah’s always been there for me. She’s someone who’s seen me grow up and we’ve obviously seen each other grow up into the people that we are today.

And then I’ve got some incredible friends in Kim Little, Jen Beattie, Steph Catley and Lia Walti who I would trust with my life. I know that they would be there for me in a heartbeat, for a good or a bad moment. Sorry, there’s so many more! But I have a very tight-knit group and a lot of people I can trust.

We have a lot of different nationalities in the squad. Have you picked up much language or culture from team-mates?

I think that’s one of the things I love so much about football. I’m an extrovert, I’m a social butterfly and I love getting to know new people. I wouldn’t say I’m very awkward with anyone and I love learning different parts of people’s languages. I won’t act for a second like I’m even close to being fluent in another language, but it’s great to learn and it’s always nice to make an effort and to try to understand someone else’s culture.

Just as an example here at Arsenal, we have a lot of days where we eat different foods from different countries in the team. It’s a nice way to make your team-mates feel included and for you to learn a little bit and talk to them about their culture. I love that so much about football – it gives you the opportunity to meet so many different people from so many different walks of life in a way that lots of other people don’t get the chance to do.

"It's a privilege to meet new people and broaden your perspective"

How important is diversity in a team?

I think it’s incredibly important. That’s what makes a team when you’ve got people from different walks of life, backgrounds and cultures because that brings different mentalities, motivations, personalities and style of play.

It’s an amazing part of being in a team sport and being around an amazing group of people that you can get different energies from, and gain different insights into how they view life and think about different things. Obviously with my recent experiences in life, that’s something I don’t want to ever take for granted. It’s a privilege to meet new people and broaden your perspective on all things in life.

Who’s on your own personal team?

Someone who’s motivated to be a good person and appreciates every moment in life. You would want to help others in any way possible and you have a willingness to work hard and come in every day with a smile on your face.

Can you think of a time when the team has been there for you at a difficult moment?

I don’t know if I’ve said this publicly before, but the way my team was there for me when my mum passed away is like nothing I could have ever expected. Obviously I come from the North East – quite a distance from London – and when it came to my mum’s funeral, literally every single one of my team-mates decided to come along and be there for me and my family on the day.

Not many people know that and I know that the girls probably don’t want or need anyone to know that they did that for me because they’re such genuine people. But they were there for me, and they were there to remember my mum because some of them knew her and loved her and knew how much she meant to me. Players and staff at Arsenal were literally right there for me in the most difficult moment of my life. I will never forget that because they made that day just a little more bearable because I saw all of their faces. This team means the world to me.

What do you think was the key ingredient for our Invincibles team of 2006/07?

Football these days is a very competitive and hard sport to be in and for us I think it’s because that team of 2006/07 set the gold standard and pushed the game to a new level over here. To go invincible you’ve got to have consistency in everything you do, every day, every week, even if you’ve got a winning formula and title-winning players. To do that now… it’s an incredibly difficult task to think about achieving, but I would never say it’s impossible to repeat.

"We played rounders in Portgual and it drove me mad - no-one knew the rules!"

Could you imagine playing an individual sport rather than a team sport?

I played a lot of different sports as a youngster. PE was my favourite subject and I was a very active kid. I played in the netball league and I played hockey at a very good level too – I had to choose between hockey and football. I also did cross country at county level and I played cricket for my local village team in a men’s league. Oh, I was rounders captain at school too. We were playing rounders out in Portugal and it drove me mad because no one else knew the rules properly.

I was very much one of those annoying people as a kid who could pick up a bat, racket or ball and be pretty good at it! I just love sport. But in terms of individual sports and team sports, I think we all do it for different reasons. I really respect athletes who do it on their own because they have their own expectations and pressure and can’t fall back on anyone else. When it’s time to perform, they don’t have anyone else to lift them up by even one per cent in a bad moment or on a tough day. I have huge respect for the mentality of all athletes, but especially for those in individual sports because I know how much my team-mates help me when things aren’t going my way, both on and off the pitch. They pick me up, they make me better and they push me to a different level, so that’s why I love team sports, but the opposite is also why I love individual sports because of the mentality and mindset required to reach the top. I’m also just a social butterfly, so I need my people next to me and around me!

There’s a whole team behind the team at Arsenal. How much time do you spend with them?

I think it’s so important to spend lots of time with them. I’ve always made an effort at every club to get along with everyone because we’re all part of the same team: players and staff.

Let’s take the last year, for example. I’ve spent so much time with our physios and I can’t thank them enough for all the help, hard work and the conversations we’ve had. We were with each other every single day working on a common goal. I’ve spent a lot of time with the Strength and Conditioning guys too. They pushed me really hard and I’ve probably called them a lot of bad things a lot of times… but they’ve stood by me every step of the way and made me stronger.

All of the staff have helped to push me to a different level in one way or another. As a player there are so many things in your day to day life that are arranged by a member of staff who really cares about you. They definitely don’t get the credit that they deserve, from our technical team and the kit man to the chefs and ground staff. They’re all a massive part of what makes this club successful.

What’s the best example of togetherness with the supporters you can remember?

I think our supporters are unmatched. Whatever the weather, they’re there, they’re loud and they’re proud of us. They’re also super-critical and they expect a lot from us, but I think Arsenal fans are setting standards and us as a team are trying to set standards like

them. The support home and away has been incredible over the last few years especially, but also over such a long period like no other club in England.

It’s so nice that so many people can come together and support us, and when you look at the togetherness in our squad I think the fans are a big part of that. We would love to be there for every little moment with them and give them all the time we can, so I know thank you isn’t enough, but I want to give them all the thanks and love on behalf of the squad because it means the world to us.