For Hayley Ladd, playing football wasn’t a choice. It was just a given from the off.

As soon as she was old enough, she was kicking a ball around with local lads on the cul-de-sac that her family lived on – and when she was nine, she was in Arsenal’s Centre of Excellence.

Stints at Coventry City, Bristol Academy and Birmingham City followed – alongside a time playing in Finland! – before Hayley ended up at Manchester United.

And alongside that was Hayley’s international career, began when she was just sixteen years old, and still going strong to this day for Wales.

It was being part of that Welsh team at such a young age that helped Ladd find the confidence she needed to be her authentic self – and now, she’s looking to help others do the same.

This is a cracking conversation about all of that and so much more – from Wales’ recent World Cup match with Slovenia played in front of an electric crowd in Cardiff to Hayley’s footballing journey, plus training in the pandemic, finding time to relax and the pressures that younger players may face now that Hayley didn’t have to deal with as she was breaking into the game.

It’s a brilliant chat with a fantastic guest, and we think you’re going to love it!

WANT TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT OUR GUEST?
@HayleyLadd

WANT TO GET IN TOUCH WITH THE PODCAST?
@jack_murley
jack.murley@bbc.co.uk