Editorials & Features
INTERVIEW | Sarah Essam talks racism, Monaco interest, leadership and more (Part 1)
In 2017, Sarah Essam made history becoming the first ever Egyptian and Arab woman to play in the FA Women’s Premier League at only 18 years of age. The forward picked up the Golden Boot after scoring 12 goals in 12 appearances during the 2018/19 season.
Sarah Essam signed with Wadi Degla in 2015 playing for the under-17s before moving up to the first team. Shortly after she got her first appearance with the national team.
In 2017, Sarah Essam moved to the United Kingdom in order to study. There she had gone through many trials, and the 21-year-old received offers from Stoke City, Derby County, Birmingham City and the Sunderland Juniors; Essam opted for the Potters.
The Egyptian Queen spoke exclusively to KingFut’s Michel Jreissati…
What were your biggest challenges when you first arrived?
“I wasn’t scared but I knew it was going to be a huge responsibility to take care of myself and do everything on my own.
“I struggled a bit with racism while settling in the country, but the club has always supported me and with time I started getting along with more people and making more friends.
“These things happen to anyone who is doing good and trying to succeed, it’s normal.
“I definitely did face struggles, but I was psychologically ready for it and I always had faith in God, called my family for support, always worked hard and always stayed loyal so it pays off at the end. I don’t let anything negative affect me, because we know nothing worth it comes easily, I am letting myself gain experience.
“Another important factor was that I didn’t meet an Egyptian or Arab neither in Stoke nor Derby, in the club and university. No one was there to make me feel home or safe, I didn’t focus on it at all even though I knew I had some friends from home who lived in other cities. I try to keep most of my time devoted to work, even in my free time I try to be productive, it became an addiction; always want to finish my class, run to change my clothes quickly and go to training and I would even have to eat on my way there.’’
With the recent transfer window, have you received any offers/clubs? If yes who?
“I am not looking for offers outside the UK at the moment, I had multiple offers in Europe such as France, Malta and Spain there was nothing official. From France it was Monaco and from Malta a Champions League side. I am focusing on England and Stoke for now.’’
How do you balance both your studies and football?
“I was dreaming about studying engineering and playing football, many people told me: ‘It’s hard, you can’t balance both.’ I wasn’t that A-star student as well. Nonetheless I wanted to start with myself and decided to try as much as I can and to not listen to others. And here I am, thank God, balancing very well, I know it’s a lot of work and that it requires a lot of effort, but nothing comes without sacrifice, and at the end of the day, hard work pays off.’’
From winning best player with your school in El-Gouna tournament to Arab Women of the Year, Golden Boot, first Egyptian women to play in the Premier league. How does that make you feel? More pressure?
“No, I don’t feel any pressure, it’s actually a nice feeling. I don’t tend to look back and think about the good things that happened, I always look forward to the future, set new goals so I try to think about them and plan on how I will improve and achieve them-everything comes with the work not the talk.
“In another sense, this is what I chose and wanted since I was little. Even though I could struggle with a few things now; homesickness, unfortunately being away from my parents and my country, I have to know that that it’s the path I took and that God willing I could handle the responsibility and keep going, I really can’t complain, it’s my dream. If God willing when I go back to playing with the national team we can lift up Egypt’s name in the world of women’s football.
“Concerning the awards, they motivate me and they give me a big push but also that fact that I am Egyptian, that’s what makes the biggest difference for me – the fact that I’m breaking barriers and creating opportunities for the next generation of Arab girls.
“When I was younger and I would find older girls not making it, telling me ‘I wasn’t lucky’ or ‘I couldn’t find help’. And they would be people who played more than I did and had more experience, so it was discouraging being surrounded by this negativity. But I decided to start with myself and try to become an inspiration.’’
Sarah Essam gave an insight on how it felt to not have anyone to look up to in women’s football in Egypt, the forward said:
“It was hard not having a female role model in the national team or in Egyptian women’s football that would make us believe that it is possible for a girl to travel, live abroad and settle in or adapt.’’
When asked about how it feels to be the role model and leader for others considering that she didn’t have anyone, Sarah Essam used this day at the Egyptian embassy in England to illustrate her emotions, she added:
“That’s exactly how I felt on that day, when I was giving them the medals and giving a speech. When I saw how they are looking at me and how they were listening to me, it really reminded me of myself when I was in the academy when I was little, and I felt that I had a huge responsibility in a sense where I want to give to all these younger girls who go to the academies and have the urge to make it. I felt the need to talk to them, for instance about the obstacles I faced in Egypt, to tell them to never stop, to not feel down or upset, that I know what they are going to have to go through in Egyptian women’s football specially when it is not as appreciated as it is in Europe and the rest of the world. It feels great but I keep looking forward, I do not want it to distract me, I want to achieve more in order to give these girls more opportunities and hope.’’
The 21-year-old insisted on and highlighted the lack of investment in the psychological upbringing when it comes young girls in the early stages of their careers, she said:
“There are a lot of girls, even the ones who start in academies and even football clubs who are not taught by their coaches about the mental side, nor the psychological one at all, which results in having a lot of girls who are talented but end up giving up or lacking ambition, and that is something I lately realized.
“And that is why a lot of girls stop playing, because of something a guy told her, parents not wanting them to play and with a very weak mentality they find it hard to stay determined about what they want. I had girls come up to me and tell me these kind of stories, ‘I am not good enough’ or I am not going to continue’. That is a part we are struggling with; we need qualified coaches who mentor the girls from a young age about these things more than football.’’
How would you describe your mentality?
“I like to work hard on what I want and my plans. I don’t like talking about it I rather work in silence. Before starting my season I didn’t talk to anyone about what I had in mind – I also have faith in God, and I love to learn more. When I got to England I didn’t think ‘oh I made it’ or ‘I played for the national team at a young age’, ‘I can settle now’, I wanted to learn more about new things and I was very open-minded. Moreover, I like to improve and work on myself everyday even if I’ve been doing good, there is always that part of me that thinks it’s not enough and wants to achieve more.’’
You seem to be the leader and a role model for younger girls, what is your message for the coming generation?
“I would like to tell them that they should definitely keep going and convince their parents if it is what they love. My parents weren’t convinced at the start as well, but when they saw how committed and determined I was by going early to training and working on myself for example.
“It will also be easier for the next generation as the awareness about women’s football has been raised among the society and parents. Nowadays schools organize tournaments, and there are more and more academies for women.’’
You have been qualified as the female version of Salah by the media, but who has been your model growing up?
“I didn’t have a specific role model in a sense that I wanted to follow in their steps, but I always liked watching Ronaldinho, [Diego] Maradona and other good players, [Lionel] Messi of course. I rather like to pick out the positives from different players and learn from them in order to improve.’’
Be sure to stay tuned as a second part will be coming soon, as Sarah Essam walks us through how she almost picked another sport for her career.
