At the age of 33, many footballers will start to prepare for their careers to wind down, but not Casey Stoney.
The defender was part of the England squad that reached the semi-finals of the Women's World Cup earlier this summer and she is also currently helping Arsenal in their battle for the Women's Super League title.
When Sports Mole recently spoke with Stoney, she insisted that there are no retirement plans in place, as well as revealing what she believes can be done to further enhance the popularity of the sport in this country.
Now that the dust has settled a little bit on the World Cup, how are you reflecting on England's performance? You finished third of course, but is there any lingering disappointment about not reaching the final?
"We're obviously still a little disappointed that we didn't get to the final, but we should be really proud of what we did. What we achieved has no doubt raised the profile of women's football and hopefully it will have given young girls the type of opportunities that we never had when we were younger."
What has the reaction been like since you've returned home?
"It's been incredible from the minute we landed off the plane. All the cameras and the media, as well as people just wanting to have a chat in the street. It's momentous for women's football and also having the FA Cup final at Wembley - that's never happened before. It shows that the momentum is there and people are talking about it. The most amazing thing I heard, someone was talking about a girl's football club before the World Cup started - they've just had four new teams formed. That's the most pleasing aspect of what we did in Canada."
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How does women's football ensure that it capitalises on all this momentum?
"We need to keep doing what we are doing. That means keep it advertised on the television and trying to get out to local communities to work with young people. We need to make sure it's in the media more and us as players need to make the most of the media opportunities. We need to advertise the game well by winning matches and going to tournaments like Euro 2017 and looking to lift the trophy. It's all about creating opportunities for girls to play because the more that do play, the greater the pool of talent will be and the more successful we can become as a country."
Is it too far-fetched to suggest that more games could be played at the men's stadiums? Notts County play at Meadow Lane for example, but what about using the Emirates Stadium or Stamford Bridge?
"Normally at Arsenal we have one game a season at the Emirates. The problem is, until we attract bigger crowds - we average about 2,000 - that would not create the right kind of atmosphere inside such a big stadium. But, I've played for Chelsea against Arsenal and they attracted around 12,000 people for a league game. It's about making sure that it's managed in the right way.
"With the men's season about to start again, they are very proud and like to take care of their pitches, so only a certain number of games can be played on those surfaces. I wouldn't say it's too far-fetched, though. It should happen more."
What is it that Mark Sampson has done to coax out such good performances from the England squad?
"Mark changed an awful lot. He has given the players a lot of freedom. At the World Cup, it was very player-driven and we enjoyed that. We set the standards as players and the way that he manages allows that to happen."
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On a personal level, you're 33. But, are you still planning on putting yourself up for selection for the European Championships in 2017?
"I'm going to put myself up for selection without a doubt. I showed at the World Cup that I'm capable of still playing at the top level. I'm as fit as I've ever been and I'm training harder than ever. Your age is just a number. When the moment comes that I'm not good enough anymore, then I'll call it a day. I still think I've got masses to offer and I genuinely believe we have a chance of winning Euro 2017, so I'd love to be a part of that."
Where does that hunger come from?
"I love football. It's my life and has been for as long as I can remember. I've never played for financial gain, I play for the love it. I want to inspire the next generation of young girls and I also want to make sure that my little girls grow up with the same footballing opportunities as young boys."
As for Arsenal, you are second in the Women's Super League on goal difference. Although you would no doubt prefer to be outright leaders, is that a position that the team is content with?
"We are pleased to be where we are, but there is also some disappointment because we've dropped some stupid points that would have meant we would be out in front. But, we've had difficult games recently and managed to come out the other side of those as winners. To be second on goal difference has put us in a great position, but with not many games to go, every one of them is crucial. We want to win the league, as does everyone in the division."
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Does the fact that newly-promoted Sunderland are the leaders highlight the strength in depth of women's football in this country?
"It really does. You've got to give Sunderland a lot of credit. During their promotion season, they were sitting top of the table and beat some big teams convincingly. They have a belief that they can beat any team that comes up against them. It just shows the strength in depth, which is really pleasing for English football."
There is an increasing number of foreign players coming into the Women's Super League. What do they add to the game in this country?
"It's important that those overseas players aren't average. The ones that do play in our league, some of them are world class. For me, to train with them makes me a better player. They also bring with them a different culture and different styles of play - it's really added to our team. If we were bringing in average players, that shouldn't happen. Chelsea have brought in the Swedish number one goalkeeper and they also have the South Korean player Ji So-yun - she was the PFA Player of the Year. She's a world-class player. Playing against those type of players is only going to improve us and hopefully that will filter into the national team as well."
And what about Fran Kirby's recent record move? How good a player can she become?
"There were quite a lot of clubs interested in her signature, so I wasn't surprised she went for a record fee. She'd also signed a five-year deal at Reading, so it needed to be a high fee. Hopefully we will see her playing for Chelsea soon because she's been injured. She's a good player with a lot of potential. Obviously she set the international stage alight with the couple of games that she played at the World Cup, so she's going to be a good signing for Chelsea."
Casey Stoney was speaking at the McDonald's & FA Community Football Day, championing accredited clubs across England and encouraging youngsters to share their best goal celebrations through #CelebrateBetter. Visit www.mcdonalds.co.uk/CelebrateBetter for more information.
Liam Apicella
