The football legend has scored 86 goals for the club across nine seasons
BY ELLA GAUCI, IMAGE BY AWFC
Lioness legend Beth Mead will be leaving Arsenal at the end of this season, following nine incredible years at the club.
Beth has made 263 appearances and scored 86 goals for Arsenal during her career, and played a pivotal role in helping the team secure trophies at the Women’s Champions League, Women’s Super League, FIFA Champions Cup and more.
In a video posted to Instagram, Beth spoke tearfully about how much Arsenal has meant to her over the last nine seasons. “Leaving this club isn’t easy,” she said. “It breaks my heart in ways I didn’t expect, but I leave it with so much love, pride and so much gratitude. Arsenal will always be a part of me, always.”
After joining the club in 2017, Beth made her senior debut for the Lionesses in 2018 and would later play a crucial role in bringing home the Euros trophy in 2022. It was during this match that she was also awarded the UEFA Player of the Tournament and Golden Boot awards. In 2022, she was named BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2022.
“For me, it’s always been about more than just trophies; it’s about the people you share it with,” Beth added in her statement. “The friendships I’ve made here go far beyond football, and I know that they’ll last a lifetime. You’ve seen me at my very best, and you’ve seen me at my lowest, and you’ve never let me face anything alone.”
Reflecting on her career, Beth noted how the team has been by her side throughout some of her hardest moments, such as when she tore her ACL in 2022 or when her mother died after “a long and brave battle with ovarian cancer” the year after.
Clare Wheatley, director of women’s football at Arsenal, said: “Beth has made a huge contribution to our football club over nine years, and will go down in history as one of our best forwards and a legend of the club.”
Off the pitch, Beth has also been an LGBTQIA+ role model for so many fans. Following the 2022 Euros win, she opened up about her coming out and sexuality. In an interview with Sky Sports, she said, “I get how difficult it is for some people, and I get that it is not always socially accepted. In the women’s game it is more norm. Actually, I’ve never physically come out and said I’m gay; I’m with a girl because I’ve not had to. I’ve just been me.”
LGBTQIA+ icons rushed to respond to the announcement. Former Arsenal player Alex Scott wrote, “😭😭😭nooooooooooo.” Radio and television present Harriet Rose also commented, “NOOOOOOOO WE LOVE YOU @bethmead_ 💔💔💔.”
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