Our Young Gun series returns for 2024/25 as we get to know the academy youngsters kicking off their careers at Sobha Realty Training Centre.
Midfielder Tara Junaid made big strides this summer when she was named captain of the Women's U21 side for the 2024-25 season. She chats with us about her journey to joining Arsenal, making her senior debut and her aspirations for her career.
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I grew up in Jacksonville, Florida. My family is American, Nigerian and English, and I grew up in America for the first eight years of my life. In terms of football, I was mostly encouraged by my dad and my older brother, who got into it first. It was really exciting to see my family play.
I started out as a gymnast so when I was thinking of trying something different, those two inspired me. My dad was an amazing coach growing up, helping me on the sidelines and driving a lot of my early work. I joined Jacksonville Football Club at around six and I think the coaches were surprised I wanted to be a footballer at first! I was the only girl on the team but for me, that only made it more exciting to play. I thought it was weird there weren’t more girls’ teams but the competitiveness of the boys’ team was great.
The game wasn’t as strong in the US, so my older brother got a few calls from clubs in the UK and we ended up moving over here. My whole family really got into the sport and that's when the opportunities started opening up.
"Making my debut in our friendly against Southampton was a spectacular moment for me and my family"
My first club in the UK was Essex FA County Girls, right in Colchester. The club really helped me develop my football and I got noticed by a few clubs whilst I was playing there. Arsenal were one of them, I went for a trial in the summer of 2019 and the rest is history.
The environment around the club is amazing. The coaches helped me settle in quickly and growing up with the girls has been great. Even though I wasn't there when a lot of them first met, they have always been there for me as a great support system. They’re just lovely people to be around.
I started out as a winger before finding more central positions on the pitch. These days, I play mainly as a 10 or an 8 so I'm quite a versatile player and I find it exciting to get on the ball. I see myself as a playmaker who can help dictate things anywhere on the pitch. As well as playing the simple pass, I have a lot of 1v1 qualities and love being as creative as possible. It’s about playing football in my own style.
I'm still growing as a footballer and there's so much else to learn. Elliot, my head coach at the moment, has helped me develop so much. When I had the opportunity to spend preseason with the first team, it stretched my game a lot wider and I could just see myself evolving as a player.
It was so exciting when I got that first call-up to train with the senior squad. The chance to play alongside the people I grew up watching was amazing so I’m very grateful for that. Opportunities like that just help me believe in my abilities more.
Players like Lotte [Wubben-Moy], Alessia [Russo] and Kim [Little] have inspired me since I was little because they have such drive and determination. You can see, even in training, they always have this passion like it's their very last session. That makes them excellent role models already but they’re also always there to help you personally.
Making my debut in our friendly against Southampton was a spectacular moment for me and my family. There were so many emotions running through my head. I got the call up the day before and I was so excited in the car. Of course, you wonder when you might make your debut but you don’t really believe it’ll happen until it does. Then Jonas looked at me in the final moments of the game and said, “You’re coming on.” I was just buzzing.
This is still the beginning. I'm definitely striving for a professional contract at Arsenal. That's one of my big aims for the seasons to come. I'm looking to get as much first team experience as I can but before that happens.
There's a lot that goes through your mind when you're playing international football. There’s a lot of pressure, especially at a tournament as big as the World Cup, but honestly, all of that just goes away when I get onto the pitch. My duty is to try and perform my best every time I get there. Representing my country is important, especially at this age.
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