Beth Mead became a national hero last summer as the breakout star of the England women’s team who triumphed at the 2022 Euros. The 28-year-old Arsenal forward followed that by winning the BBC Sports Personality of the Year and being made an MBE. She will, however, miss this summer’s Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand after rupturing her anterior cruciate ligament last November. Born in Yorkshire, Mead now lives in Hertfordshire with her partner, fellow Arsenal forward Vivianne Miedema. Mead’s debut book for younger readers, the nonfiction Roar – which aims to inspire children to pursue their dreams – is out this month.
You’ve had a busy few weeks: it’s been your birthday and you’ve been presented with an MBE. What’s been the highlight?
Well, in football terms I’m getting old now, so my birthday is not a happy thing any more! Obviously, I don’t think you can top the MBE. I met Prince William, we got to go to Windsor Castle – that was pretty surreal. And I got to do it with my dad, my brother and my partner, Viv, so that was a very proud moment.
Does being an MBE confer any special privileges?
I haven’t Googled that one. I had a joke with [Bukayo] Saka today when I saw him in the gym. He said: “Oh, do we have to call you by anything now?” I’m like: “No, no. If you just curtsy every time you see me, that’d be great!”
Almost a year on, what do you think went right for the Lionesses last summer?
Sarina [Wiegman, the coach] did an amazing job bringing a different culture to England’s game. She’s brought Dutch culture, her directness, her expectation, and every single person within the squad, from number one to 23, all bought into the system. We lived and breathed it every day, on and off the pitch, and that was 100% the reason why we did so well.
After the Euros, England captain Leah Williamson said it was just the start of the journey for women’s football. Have you seen further progress?
Yeah, we wanted to create a legacy. And as we’ve seen this season, it’s not just been a couple of months’ buzz. You look at the FA Cup final: completely sold out at Wembley. And we had the semi-final for Arsenal in the Champions League. There were fans at the game; it wasn’t just people coming to watch – it was fans and people who cared about the game.
But these past few months must have been very tough personally. First, the ACL injury and then losing your mum to ovarian cancer in January.
I’ve probably been at the highest high of my career footballing-wise, to then the lowest low of picking up the worst injury in football. But also alongside that having a really bad time off the pitch with losing my mum. When my mum was still alive, I had very bad moments of wanting to give up football and she picked me up and made me go on. Obviously I lost that person, but then I had such an amazing group of people, friends, teammates, family around me that helped me get through.
How do you feel about missing the World Cup?
I’m a positive person. I’m not stupid, I’m logical. I’ve had a lot of discussions with Sarina, and the World Cup’s going to be too soon for me, unfortunately. I’d be in a good place to start but I wouldn’t get the minutes of football that I’d like. And I don’t want to go there and be a burden for the team.
In Roar, you write in passing about your relationship with Viv. Was it important to you to put that in there?
Yeah, we’re in the 21st century now – whoever you fall in love with, that’s OK as long as you’re happy. I always say that for when I hopefully have kids one day: as long as my kids are happy, I’m happy. They may have feelings at a young age… I think 19 was when I first started to have those feelings. But I just wanted to make it the norm as much as possible. And for them to read it as if it was like walking down the road.
What do you like watching on TV?
I love Ted Lasso. And Happy Valley: it’s a taste of home and my accent, it’s just a comfort sometimes. And I’m very much into The Last of Us and The Walking Dead. I always think I’m prepared if I’ve watched those apocalypse shows. That’s Sarina coming out in me. I like to have plans A, B, C, D and E.
In the book you say you’re a terrible singer. Just how bad are we talking?
If you got hold of a cat around the neck, I’m worse than that. The other day, I was with Leah Williamson. We sit with a speaker on in the physio room – unfortunately it’s quite a busy physio room at the moment – and I jokingly said to her: “We sit here and sing, we should just have a little karaoke machine.” On my birthday, Leah actually bought me one for the physio room: it has a little screen, two microphones and we’ve been sat singing in the corner. Me and [Arsenal captain] Kim Little did a little duet on there. I sang a bit more quietly because Kim’s a much better singer. But God loves a trier, right?
One of the big chants last summer was “Beth Mead’s on fire” to the tune of Gala’s Freed from Desire. How did that feel?
It was goosebumps, and I still get them now. But every time I hear the song now, wherever I am, I’m like: “It’s not for you any more. You’re not playing football!” People aren’t singing that to me [now]. I need to remember that!
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Roar: A Guide to Dreaming Big and Playing the Sport You Love by Beth Mead is published on 22 June by Hachette (£9.99). To support the Guardian and Observer order your copy at guardianbookshop.com. Delivery charges may apply
