I’m an England icon who played for Arsenal and Liverpool but turned down US transfer because I’d just bought a house

Fara Williams had the chance to play in the USA, but turned down a move to the other side of the pond.

The English football legend spent his entire career in his native country, playing for Chelsea, Charlton, Everton, Liverpool, Arsenal and Reading, where he won a league title, a League Cup and an FA Cup.

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When she played for the Toffees in 2009, a move abroad would have been possible – but the recent purchase of a house in the area played a big part in the transfer never happening.

Speaking to The Pitch Prospect.com at KIND Snacks’ x, Williams was asked if she had turned down any offers in the past.

The 40-year-old, who retires in 2021, said: “I got a contract to play in the USA.

“They signed away my rights, but they didn’t realize that this meant I couldn’t go there for two years.

“So I signed with a club in the USA, Philadelphia [Independence] But in the end I didn’t go. I didn’t want to go.

“I had just bought my first house in Liverpool, so I ended up staying.

“When I played for Everton in Europe, when we played against some Swedish and Norwegian teams, those teams would come and make me an offer or a transfer within seven days. But I owed too much to the Everton manager at the time.

“I was too loyal and that’s why I never went, but I don’t regret anything.”

Williams was even selected in the International Draft of Women’s Professional Soccer, now known as the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL).

There she was to join her English teammate, current The Pitch Prospect co-host and expert Lianne Sanderson.

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But the legendary midfielder does not regret having turned down the opportunity to play abroad.

“I don’t regret it, but I enjoyed playing here with foreign players,” she said. “I think they have a different appreciation for players than when I played.”

“That’s the English way, isn’t it? We’re pretty hard on each other.

“We want the best, but we probably can’t deliver it in the best way in terms of communication. We’re pretty negative.”

“Then when I played at Liverpool and we had signed a few foreign players at the time I first came there, just all the communication and how positive they were even in bad moments, you think ‘Oh, what would it have been like if I had gone abroad’, just for that reason.”

Transfers in women’s football have changed completely since she began her career as a professional player in the 2000/01 season.

Racheal Kundananji’s move from Madrid CFF to Bay FC in the NWSL for £685,000 broke the women’s transfer fee record in February.

But Williams says that at the beginning of her career there were no transfer fees or fixed transfer windows.

The former England star with 177 international caps said: “We didn’t make any transfers back then.

“That’s how it was on the transfer market: you could be in the middle of the season and all it took was for a club to call and ask for seven days.

“That meant you had seven days to talk to the player and make a decision about whether he wanted to move or not.

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“It can happen at any time during the season. Obviously a lot has changed, there is a lot more control, which is a lot better for the clubs.

“So we are in a much better position today than we were then.”

Williams was one of the pioneers in the revival of women’s football in England and was awarded an MBE for her contribution to the sport.

England’s achievements and the work of those working behind the scenes to develop the women’s game were recognised on Monday when England’s partner KIND Snacks had photos of them projected onto the billboard at Wembley.

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Williams said: “We’re at the home of football to unveil the KIND Snack England teams billboard. We’re recognising all the work that goes on behind the scenes, from the elite to the grass paths and in between the volunteers or whatever. All the hard work behind the elite level of the game.

“It’s really nice to see some of the work and moments in women’s football that we have witnessed over the last year on the billboard at Wembley.”