Steph Houghton

At Arsenal, we train for about two hours a day and are treated just the same as the men. It makes a big difference, and it gives young girls something to aim for.

You want to be winning trophies, and you want to be winning medals.

I knew there was going to be pressure on me with the captaincy. I knew people would be writing about my performances more than anyone else's, but that's not a problem because I have my dad telling me about my performance every single game, and he is my biggest critic.

The captaincy is about putting the team first, making sure the girls are happy - that they're comfortable with the processes we have, the way that the schedule is - to be able to challenge people on and off the pitch: not telling them off, but advising them.

My mum and dad were always careful with money.

I don't tend to carry much cash around, as I use my bank card whenever I can.

It's difficult because the men's game is so big and attracts so much money and sponsorship, and so it's always going to take priority.

I think there's so many areas within the football game that women are being more involved in, and I think it's great to see.

I am proud to be captain of an England team who believe in themselves and enjoy the way we play.

I'm a very motivated person, and that goes hand in hand with being very organised. I always plan what I need to do to get the best out of every day.

When I was named captain under Mark Sampson, there were a lot of questions about whether I was ready for it. I wasn't a certain starter. There were more experienced players than me; I was only 25. I was trying to nail down a centre-half spot, and it was a difficult situation.

Playing with the boys made me a better footballer. It made me more competitive and made me want to win even more. You were playing against the boys and wanted to prove how good you were.