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“In the men's game, many of the players can retire on the money they have, but in the women's game it's hard. So you've always got in the back of your mind that you have to move into something once you're done.”

Football has taken Georgia Robert from her home in North Yorkshire to South Carolina, included spells at Sheffield United Women FC, Durham Women FC and present side Rugby Borough and also saw her become part of a ground-breaking TV show, living in a villa in Italy.

The most recent addition to her list of life experiences has been as a participant of Women in Football’s The Next Goal programme. 

The transition to a post-playing career isn't always easy for female footballers, so in 2023, Women in Football teamed up with the Adecco Group and LHH to help. The Next Goal programme was designed specifically with the guidance of a team of expert facilitators, to enable the players to discover more about their own skills and characteristics and how these can be invaluable in the next stage of their careers, both on and off the pitch. 

Kicking off in September 2024, the second edition encompassed six sessions covering topics as diverse as leadership, strategic thinking, presenting with confidence, networking and influencing skills. Each participant will also work with a mentor for the next six months, further developing their skills in a chosen area of interest.

Chair of Women in Football, Ebru Köksal explained the fundamental ethos of the programme. “At Women in Football, our remit is to support any woman working in and around the game. Professional football players are also our members, and we would love to keep them in the workforce” she explained.

“A lot of the time, players default to either coaching or commentating and do not necessarily think about what else might be possible. Especially regarding which transferable skills they have from their playing career, and how those can be instrumental in the next stage of their professional lives.”

 

Chasing promotion

The current cohort features seven on the cusp of promotion to the Women’s Championship with Nottingham Forest Women. Ranging from 21 to 36 years of age, many of the participants have studied for bachelor’s degrees. Some, such as Merrick Will - on the books of Forest’s Northern Premier Division title rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers - have also completed a Masters. Merrick’s BSc in Psychology (Sport, Health, and Exercise) and MSc in Sport and Exercise Psychology has understandably influenced the direction her post-playing career may take. 

“As much as it's a really great career, the reality is at some point, you do have to stop playing” she admitted candidly at LHH’s offices. “I am currently injured, and it’s been a time to reflect and realise that there’s stuff outside of football that I’m interested in when my career is over. 

“During a previous injury rehab, I struggled psychologically. Having experienced that, I’d like to apply something I’m passionate about to give back to the women's football community in the future.”

Check out the highlights from this seasons The Next Goal programme.

 

Programme evolution

LHH’s business is centred around four key components: Advisory, Learning & Development, Career Transition & Mobility, and Recruitment Solutions. So how did the partnership with Women in Football evolve, and how do the two organisations combine to deliver such a compelling offering for the players? 

“Our mission is all about making the future of work, work for everyone. Female athletes are no different from the corporates that that we work with” said Kirsten Cole, Specialist Markets Sales Director - UK & Ireland at LHH.  “If you have athletes who are content off the pitch, their performance is only going to be improved on it.

“Women in Football have the contacts and the relationships within the industry and LHH has the content and the experience. The combination of the two is hugely powerful and we know what a life changing impact we can have on the players via this coaching.” 

The Next Goal neatly encapsulates two of Women in Football's strategic pillars: to share professional expertise to help tackle the under-representation of women across the football industry, and to champion female talent in a bid to bring about a change in attitudes to women working in the industry.

In the opinion of WIF CEO Yvonne Harrison, what makes the programme so special? “Players have had a structure at their clubs, so moving into what's next is a pivotal moment, and can be quite scary,” she said. 

“We want to offer this transitional support in terms of their career, because routinely this isn't being done consistently across every club. To have that support, also from mentors is important, so they can move forward with confidence and with new skills.” 

“As the CEO of Women in Football, I'm in a lot of rooms where these players are not. Whether that's with the government, or with the leagues, we're trying to change the system. I want to make sure that all players have the opportunity to really focus on the next stage of their career and have the support to let them do that in the best way possible.”

 

The players and mentors

The Next Goal player participants:

Anisha Hill (Fulham), Bridget Galloway, Hollie Olding, Naomi Bedeau, Kate Longhurst, Millie Chandarana, Mollie Green, Nat Johnson (all Nottingham Forest), Rhianne Rush and Georgia Robert (both Rugby Borough), Merrick Will (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Rachel Dugdale (Blackburn Rovers), Rachel Rowe (Southampton), Lauren McMurchie (Retired).

The Next Goal Mentors:

Yvonne Harrison (Women in Football CEO); Claire Streeter (EFL Trust CCO Development Manager); Rachel Pavlou (The FA Women’s Development Manager- EDI History and Heritage); Liz Ward (EDI Consultant); India Thomson (We are Fearless Group Account & Women’s Sport Director); Lisa Mandla (Premier League Senior Learning & Development Manager); Chloe Morgan (Head of She’s a Baller); Nicola McCullough (Training Consultant for FIFA - Event Services and Tournament Division) Cara Lee Moseley (The FA Women’s Psychosocial Pathway Manager); Hugo Scheckter (Founder & Managing Director of the Player Care Group); Julie Grundy (Celtic FC - Head of Girls Football) Lauren O’Sullivan (Premier League Charitable Fund - Head of Community and Workforce Development). 

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