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England women's football captain, and AAT trainee, Leah Williamson
Leah Williamson_El Loko_Wikimedia Commons

AAT trainee Williamson leads England to Euro win

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The England football team’s Euro 2022 triumph on Sunday will spark pride among accountants around the country for the achievements of the nation’s most famous trainee accountant, team captain Leah Williamson.

1st Aug 2022
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As we reported two years ago accountancy was a popular sideline for the nation’s aspiring footballers. England captain Leah Williamson has been a professional with Arsenal women’s team since 2014. She was part of the England team for the 2019 World Cup and started studying for an AAT qualification shortly after the team came fourth in that tournament.

For the Euro 2022 campaign, Williamson switched from midfield to the centre of England’s defence, where she demonstrated an accountant’s aptitude for assessing risks and acting swiftly to lessen their impact. Her performances rekindled memories of 1966 World Cup-winning captain Bobby Moore as she glided across the pitch to snuff out danger and turn defence into attack.

Speaking to City A.M. in 2020, Williamson talked about her accountancy studies as a way to maintain balance in her life by doing something outside of football. “I’m under no illusions that I’m not going to be able to retire at the end of my career and be fine for the rest of my life. I will have to work again,” she said.

“Hopefully one day these girls will earn enough that they are set for life.”

Changing priorities

Williamson’s prospects and priorities may have changed since then. She already has sponsorship deals with Pepsi and Nike and a personal fortune estimated to be worth £4m. That figure is likely to escalate after Sunday’s heroics.

In an emotional TV interview after the final, she played on the broader significance of the Lionesses’ success. “The legacy of this tournament is the change in society. The legacy of this team is winners and that is the journey,” she said.

When asked about her progress as an accountancy trainee, an AAT spokesman told AccountingWEB: “We were certainly pleased to see Leah’s victory yesterday – [it] would be great if she’s managed to keep up her studies too, but it will be understandable if she hasn’t!”

Though accountancy’s euphoric England fans may experience a hint of regret that the England captain is likely to delay her professional qualification for a few years, there will be plenty of opportunities to see her in action. The nine-month Women’s Super League (WSL) kicks off on 11 September with Williamson’s Arsenal paying a visit to top three rivals Manchester City.

Replies (3)

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By Trethi Teg
02nd Aug 2022 08:59

I am not sure that this is an entirely appropriate article for this publication. Isnt there anything else more relevant to contribute?

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By Hugo Fair
15th Aug 2022 17:04

And that's what you get when you publish tenuously related articles about football!

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By Tanekajabari
02nd Sep 2022 12:13

The England football team's Euro 2022 triumph on Sunday will spark pride among accountants around the country for the achievements of the nation's most famous trainee accountant, team captain Leah Williamson.

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