ELEVENTH
HOUR
IN CONVERSATION WITH LEAH WILLIAMSON
@LEAHWILLIAMSONN
ELEVENTH HOUR by LRI 10 23 showcases individuals in the football realm—those with a distinctive voice, a unique style, and an inspiring presence that transcends the game, leaving a mark in multiple dimensions.
LEAH WILLIAMSON
LEAH WILLIAMSON
THE POWER OF
THE POWER OF
UNITY AND INTEGRITY
UNITY AND INTEGRITY
LEAH WILLIAMSON
@LEAHWILLIAMSONN
Leah Williamson is more than England’s captain — she’s a new kind of leader. Where others shout, she listens. Where some chase the spotlight, she carries the weight quietly, with integrity and respect. For Leah, the armband isn’t about hierarchy; it’s about unity. A symbol of trust, balance, and responsibility to the team.
Her journey has redefined what leadership in football can look like — steady, authentic, and shared. It’s this spirit that inspired our new LRI 10 23 piece, a tribute to the armband and to leaders like her who prove that strength doesn’t need to be loud to be powerful.
Leah, thank you for opening up in this Eleventh Hour Talk, and for showing that leadership can be vulnerable, steady, and above all, human.
LW/ In my professional career, the first time I wore the armband for club or country I was filling in, in the absence of somebody else so that eased the weight of it slightly. I saw it as a novelty experience and the armband came with no title effectively so that first time I just enjoyed the day knowing that it would make my parents so proud of the ‘off-pitch’ side of Leah.
The captain’s armband is small, quiet, almost invisible—but it carries so much weight. What did it feel like the first time you wore it?
LW/ For me, the most important thing is the empowerment of those around you. Players, staff, younger players even. Lead from within, not necessarily from the front. To allow and encourage everybody to have an impact on the environment and play their role, being confident that their opinion matters.
I do use my voice and I am loud on the pitch but never pre-meditated in my communication.
Leadership in football often gets portrayed as shouting, chest-thumping energy. But what does your version of leadership look and sound like?
LW/ 1000%. In football, somebody has to wear the armband and play that role for the team, it’s in the rules. It is a symbol used to create order and encourages respect between match officials and players. That is the purpose of it, not to create a hierarchy.
Sometimes the authority gained from the title you hold is needed to ask a team to conform to something or behave/react in a certain way. But if they all believe in what you’re saying because your words are bred from the culture created by EVERYONE then regardless of the person delivering the message, it is fundamentally the beliefs of the team.
(Hope that makes sense?)
The armband in our shirt print is described as «not about hierarchy, but about unity». Do you agree—and how do you keep that balance in a squad full of strong personalities?
LW/ My Grandmothers were the first people. Both the matriarchs of their families with completely different leadership styles that lead to having the respect of the rest of us. Player wise, I can’t remember the first but one I admired was Kelly Smith. She was as far superior to me in every single way when it came to footballing ability yet every single day I had the feeling that she saw me as her absolute equal. She LEAD the way, with her football actions and persona rarely saying a single word. It was the first time I’d seen someone lead by action alone.
When you were younger, who was the first player or person that made you think: «That’s what real leadership looks like»?
LW/ I think leadership naturally comes with certain qualities, but I believe those qualities are often tied to a sense of comfort. Some people genuinely enjoy speaking in front of others, while some don’t. Personally, I don’t love it — but I know I can do it. So I do, because I know others might not want to, and sometimes someone just has to step up.
To me, real leadership starts with being in an environment where you feel safe enough to be your true self. Then it’s about seeing whether that version of you is someone who’s comfortable taking on responsibility — or even enjoys it. For some people, that kind of pressure brings out their best, and I’d say I’m one of them.
I also think a lot of it comes down to your circumstances — the environment you grew up in, whether you were encouraged to speak up as a child, and the people who shaped you. All of that influences how you approach leadership.
And in the end, it often comes down to a simple question: Do I want to do this? Am I ready to do this?
Real leaders don’t call themselves leaders — it’s a label others give them, and they choose whether or not to step into it.
Do you think leadership is something you’re born with, or something that gets forged in the chaos of football and life?
WHAT «LEADERSHIP» REALLY LOOKS LIKE
WHAT «LEADERSHIP» REALLY LOOKS LIKE
LW/ Managing the expectations and responsibilities that are real and necessary (only one to speak to the ref, media commitments, coin toss, …) when you accept the role whilst finding the time amongst that to be as close to the natural version of yourself as possible; the young girl that just enjoys playing.
Some players wear the armband heavy—others make it look natural. What’s the hardest part of carrying it that people from the outside don’t see?
Football is about collective rhythm, but captains often have to step out of that rhythm to guide. How do you know when to step in, and when to step back?
LW/ I think great leaders recognise who is best to guide at certain points. Different scenarios require different energy or a different lens to keep everybody together and on track. Knowing your players and people means you can lead from within always and no one steps back.
LW/ I truly believe that the role you have agreed to do is to put the team first over anything. On days that athletes egos may try to run away with themselves, the captain should have those days. You’ve agreed to do a job and that is to make sure the team is ok. That should never include seeking out your own spotlight for anything other than what your footballing performances bring.
Integrity and humility are huge in the armband’s symbolism. How do you keep those values intact in a sport that’s increasingly about hype, money, and spotlight?
LW/ I think there is a different approach to showcasing leadership in the women’s game in terms of the constant battle against systemic misogyny. So we are all required to be leaders from the minute we step into the game. Whether we align with that or not, the young girls watching would agree.
Do you think the women’s game has redefined what leadership in football can be? Is there a different energy compared to the men’s side?
LW/ I agree and align with the values of the teams I play for. So to live authentically should hopefully mean I continue to build on the legacy my teams have created in and amongst the local and worldwide community.
Off the pitch, leadership looks different. What does it mean to you away from football—whether it’s community, culture, or just your people?
LW/ A leader can always be vulnerable. The captain can be vulnerable if that will get the best out of her team. Leadership is, I think an innate quality. Captaincy is a job role.
You’ve spoken before about vulnerability in sport. Can a captain afford to be vulnerable—or is that actually part of being strong?
When it’s time to wear the armband, do you put it on yourself or is there someone who helps you with it? If someone helps, who is it—and is it always the same person?
LW/ I have skinny arms and so I prefer to get it sorted myself haha.
LW/ I think the obvious word and feeling is responsibility. The one more personal to me is WEIGHT, not necessarily bad but just an awareness.
If you had to describe the armband in one word—not the object, but the feeling—what would it be?
LW/ I don’t know if I’ve thought of it like that. I think the unapologetic way that I dress and conduct myself outside of football probably reflects my persona within the game.
Fashion, music, culture—captains also set tones off the pitch. Do you think your style and voice away from the game reflect how you lead inside it?
And one last question, Leah: When the day comes that you take the armband off—both physically and metaphorically—what do you hope your teammates will carry with them about your leadership?
LW/ Somebody who did everything always with the best interest of the team first, somebody who didn’t try and hold on to it, but that fulfilled the role she was asked to do. Someone who never shied away from the responsibility, but delegated to the best suited person. And somebody who made it easy for the next person to put their own style on it.
FIRE
QUESTIONS
What do you think is the most important quality for a successful footballer?
Balance and Sacrifice (ego included)
Is there a song that always gets you ready before a match?
Erasure – A little respect
If you could change one rule in football, what would it be?
Something to do with time-wasting.
One teammate you’d trust with your wardrobe?
Keira Walsh.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received in football?
Accept criticism, if someone isn’t bothered enough to tell you, that’s the real problem.
Favourite music artist right now?
Odeal
Is there a particular piece of clothing that makes you feel mos tlike yourself?
A tailored suit.
LEADERSHIP TEE - CAPTAIN'S ARMBAND
LEADERSHIP TEE - CAPTAIN'S ARMBAND
“Real leadership is doing what’s best for the team — always.”
She talks it. You wear it.
The Leadership Tee — born from football.
Available until Oct. 12th
FOLLOW HER IF YOU: SEE LEADERSHIP AS LIFTING OTHERS, NOT STANDING ABOVE THEM, BELIEVE THE CAPTAIN’S ARMBAND IS A SYMBOL OF TRUST, NOT HIERARCHY, KNOW THAT THE GAME IS STRONGER WHEN EVERYONE HAS A VOICE AND WANT A GOOD DOSE OF FASHION INSPO.