Fara Williams: 'Living in a hostel became my home'

She is England’s most-capped footballer but, for six years of her glittering career, Fara Williams was homeless.

Speaking to Yahoo Sport’s The Football Show, England’s most capped International revealed how a family breakdown left her living in a hostel for six years.

“It was just before my 18th,” said Williams, who has played for England on 168 occasions since 2001.

“Although it was hard at first, it was something that I dealt with. Living in a hostel became my home and I didn’t look at it any differently to living in a five-bedroom house.”

“I kept it to myself for a long time. Maybe I was embarrassed by what people may have thought.”

It was during this period that Williams, who now plays for Reading, picked up the first of her record haul of England caps.

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The 35-year-old admits she was reluctant to tell her teammates about her situation, although she expressed her gratitude for the support she received from then England manager Hope Powell.

“My roommate Rachel Brown, she was really good,” explained Williams. “She was one of the only ones who knew at the time. I spoke a lot to her and it was our secret.

“Hope Powell was really good to me. She got me a sleeping bag when I first went into a hostel.”

“Her and her partner would call every evening to check if I was ok,” she continued.

“At the time, I would be travelling to Liverpool because I was playing for Everton and if I didn’t text her when I got off the train to say I arrived safely, she would go absolutely crazy at me.

“It was a major thing for me knowing that I had someone there to check in on me and make sure I was ok. If I needed food or money, they were there for me.”

Williams, who began her career at Chelsea, went on to play for Charlton, Everton, Liverpool and Arsenal before joining Reading in 2017.

The London-born star boasts two Women’s Super League titles, a women’s FA Cup winner’s medal and two Women’s League Cup triumphs, as well as a number of individual honours and an MBE over the course of a highly-decorated career.

She also represented her country at three World Cups and three European Championships and Williams believes her early-life experiences helped spur her on to improve her game.

“Once I was able to accept myself, I was able to talk about a little bit more, and I was able to play my better football,” she said. “The more open I became with people and myself, the better I was able to play.

“I probably didn’t realise at the time how it affected me but after I came out of being homeless, my career really took off.

“I think I had a barrier. When I came out of homelessness, I let that barrier down and allowed people in, and I think that allowed me to be more free in what I did when I played.”