Wales midfielder Jess Fishlock has received an MBE for her services to football and the LGBT community in a ceremony at Buckingham Palace.
Fishlock has represented sides in England, Holland, Australia, Scotland, Germany, the USA and France, while on the international stage in 2017 she became the first Welsh football player, male or female, to reach 100 caps.
Speaking to FAW.Cymru when she was named on the Queen’s Birthday honours list in June, Fishlock says she is proud to have received the award “It’s great to be recognised for who you are and what you do. It’s really nice for my family and the squad as well, it’s great to see as footballers that we’re getting recognised and things are going in the right direction.”
With the MBE, Fishlock has also been recognised as a role model for the LGBT community and she hopes she can inspire others. “It really hits me close to my heart. People have such a hard time within themselves let alone society so it’s important that everyone is ok with who they are, and they feel safe with who they are. Since I’ve got to that point I’ve been the best version of myself and I want others to feel the same.”
