An Arsenal legend is settling into her first managerial role – and has drawn a parallel between her new side and the legendary Gunners who won the quadruple in 2007.
Emma Byrne, who was part of the Arsenal side the first time they were champions of Europe, has just taken over at Lewes in the FAWNL Southern Premier Division – the third tier of women’s football in England.
During her playing days, the former goalkeeper won nine Premier League titles as well as two Women’s Super League crowns, plus nine FA Women’s Cups en route to making a record 459 appearances for Arsenal before leaving the club in 2016.
And she says some of what she sees at Lewes reminds her of the good old days.
“At Arsenal, we had a similar situation in terms of togetherness, and we had a great team with great people,” she told the FA website.
“The people factor is so important. You can have the best facilities, the great infrastructure, and all the equipment you need, but if you don’t have good people working around you, it really doesn’t matter.
“At Arsenal, we had to graft a lot. We had to commit and work, so there was a lot of balancing. Lewes is the same, we want to win with players having to make those sacrifices.”
Emma Byrne: We wanted to win at Arsenal
Lewes as a club has become famous in football for committing to paying its male and female players equally, and to promoting sustainability in its stadium as well as ethical, values-driven sponsors.
Despite that, Byrne’s team still prioritise winning matches.
“At the end of the day, we wanted to win very, very much at Arsenal, and it’s the same at Lewes,” explained the former Irish international.
“I would find it difficult not to want to win. That’s just my whole mindset. I want to win every game and we want to perform.
“There is a certain style of play that we want to produce on the pitch and trying to balance which comes first is always difficult.
“You’re always striving to do better and develop as a club. [Lewes is] a club that has huge ambition, but it’s very, very important for the club to keep that community spirit. That is at the forefront and I love that fact.
“The people at the club are very, very adamant that we keep that healthy, safe environment while trying to be ambitious and competitive.”
