Fara Williams Exclusive: Liverpool and England Star Ready for World Cup Battle

Adversity has been present in Fara Williams' world for most of her life. 

The Liverpool Player of the Year—often compared to Steven Gerrard for her industry and goals—spent her formative years on the streets of London, playing football for England whilst homeless. 

The player—now her country's record caps holder—hid her destitution from her teammates, with her family life in turmoil, pretending to lead a normal existence. 

But Williams' story is one of hope and hard work, prevailing from the harshest challenges life can deliver to become one of the elite players in the world. However, the 31-year-old didn't see football as a career option in early life, but admitted the game helped her when times were tough:

"I played football as a child and had a very supportive uncle who was willing to take me and my brothers to the park," Williams told Bleacher Report. "My mum spent a lot of time with my sister who wasn't into football at the time. As a kid I didn't know what I wanted to do in football or where I was going. I just enjoyed it and I looked up to my older brother who was a very good footballer. I think when I was in difficult situation [in life] football helped me as it gave me a focus."

Williams grew up in the Battersea area of inner-city South London, and has fond memories of the council estate she lived on before events forced her to live rough on the streets for seven years, finding her way from hostel to hostel. But she recalls how ambition was limited in her teenage years:

"To be honest, when I lived on the estate we all had each others' back and wanted others to do well, as not many people believed in themselves," she added. "You're growing up and it's rough, and you're thinking will you ever be able to achieve anything. Many give up on themselves. I know a lot of people that grew up in that environment."

However, Williams' talent was spotted at a young age, and she joined the successful Charlton Athletic Ladies setup from Chelsea in 2001—aged just 17—winning the club's Player of the Year award in her first season. 

"Having people around you who see your talent and want you to achieve is inspiring," Williams said. "I didn't recognise how good I was when I was younger, I just played for fun. But I didn't know where I could take it. When I played for England under-17 and under-19, I kept it a secret. It was an achievement but until I became a full international I didn't feel I could speak about it."

Williams continued to keep her burgeoning football career undisclosed, not recognising the wonderful ability that would one day make her a star.

"When I was at school, none of my friends knew about my football. Most of the camps were in half-term, so it was easy to keep it a secret. When I became a senior, friends and people on the estate saw me on TV, and they started to ask and take an interest. I never boasted about it, we all just treated each other as equals."

"I definitely wanted to be involved with England but didn't recognise myself at youth level—it didn't feel like a huge achievement and I took it for granted due to my lifestyle—I was a cheeky kid. I carried that through in the youth setup but my coaches helped me see my ability and I developed from there. Hope Powell sat me down and made me understand what I could achieve, then I started to take it seriously."

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With the bad influences of London weighing heavily on Williams' choices and decisions, she opted to escape the capital city for a new life on Merseyside in 2004. The player joined Everton and stayed for eight years, establishing herself as an inspiration for both club and country.

"It was a difficult time in my life and I wanted to get away from London and that lifestyle," Williams said. "I wanted to try something different. I had friends in Liverpool, and they were supportive and helped me settle. I am still happy there. Would I be where I am if I had stayed in London? I don't know. I believe everything happens for a reason. I moved away and developed my game—and enjoyed it more."

In 2012, Williams made the shock decision to make a controversial move across the city, swapping her blue shirt for red, signing for Liverpool—the Women's Super League's bottom side. She had began to stagnate after almost a decade with the Toffees, and could not turn down a full-time contract with the rebuilding Anfield giants. 

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"Everton were great to me and I'd never speak a bad word about the club," Williams explained. "The management did so much for me and were so supportive. But I felt I wasn't developing and lost some motivation."

"I was at a standstill but tried to stay loyal to Everton. However, I was determined to win the league and saw Liverpool were starting afresh, going full time, and there was an opportunity for me to join. I could give up my job and play full-time under contract—and train and fully focus. I had to work in the evening when I was at Everton, so at Liverpool I could give up the job and develop."

And progress came quick as Liverpool romped to the WSL title in 2012-13, breaking Arsenal's nine years of dominance of the English game.

And the Reds made it an unlikely double as they retained their WSL title last season, despite going into the final game of the campaign in third place behind Chelsea and Birmingham City. 

"When I look back at the last two years, our team spirit has been so good and unbelievable," Williams said. "At Everton we had great individuals, but if a team isn't balanced, it doesn't work out. At Liverpool we have great players but we are a great team. We all want to be there. There is no single individual who stands out—the team structure is the most important thing—and that is the reason why we have won the WSL for two years running."

"

So proud n honoured to be given the chance to represent England at this summers World Cup in Canada. #Lionesses pic.twitter.com/oTvdHuhV25

— fara williams (@fara_williams47) May 11, 2015"

A phenomenal 139 appearances into her international career, Williams is ready to lead England into battle as the Lionesses travel to Canada for the World Cup, starting on June 6. Williams has scored an impressive 39 goals during her career for England from the centre of the park, and all eyes will be on her as Mark Sampson's team attack the group stages. 

"We haven't set ourselves a goal but we know what we want to do," Williams said about England's hopes. "The most important thing is to get out of the groups, our focus must be the three group matches. We have a squad that can get past the quarterfinal stage. This is my third World Cup and at other tournaments we have buckled."

She added: "I really believe we have the players to push on to the latter stages. At other tournaments, Hope [Powell] brought through many young players and it was fantastic, helping our team to improve. Hope deserves credit for that but at the 2013 Euros, the younger players weren't ready to perform, but they gained great experience. Now they've had 19 months under Mark [Sampson] and they've all grown—we have a great squad now."

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England open their tournament with a difficult tie against France on June 9, followed by Mexico on June 13 and Colombia on June 17. Williams spoke about the threat of the impressive French and highlighted the big hitters of the competition. However, the player believes England are ready to challenge in Canada:

"In the past, England teams were dependent on individuals but now we have a great team. Pundits cannot pick our strongest side because we have two great first XI's now and you can't highlight one player. The younger players have great skill but we also have the older, steady heads—and you'll see a great blend in the coming weeks. The older players will allow the younger ones to play with flair."

"However, the French look tough but have buckled before, like we have. But they also have a good squad, making them a dark horse. Germany are also very strong. The USA have players who will retire after the World Cup, so they are going to give it a big effort this time, and they always turn up at tournaments. Those nations stand out—but I think we are amongst the best teams."

Williams is now the most senior player in the England setup, and cites a Liverpool club legend as an inspiration to her development, longevity and playing style:

LUCA BRUNO/Associated Press

"Steven Gerrard is one of the greatest and most loyal players ever," Williams said. "Liverpool and the city mean so much to him and he has been fantastic as a single-handed driving force. He's won so many matches on his own, he inspired a team that wasn't expected to achieve the things that they did—winning the Champions League in 2005. He's been amazing and I have always watched him, with us both being midfielders."

The women's game is growing in England at a rapid pace, with the WSL highlighting the best players in the country. Williams said she believes the sport can only grow amongst females, with women's football's fresh approach to professionalism and aspiration:

"Women's football is in a good place, especially with the growth and media coverage we now get. The young players can see the role models they can aspire to be like—and this helps everyone. The media have been great, with teams going professional. Young girls can now see football as a profession for women, and not just a hobby. The crowds are stronger and the TV coverage is good. When we announced the Women's squad for the World Cup it was the most amount of media we have ever had present, and this is my sixth tournament. It just shows how far we've come since my first competition in 2005."

Williams added: "Women's football is on the path we want it to be on. If we have a good World Cup, we will have even more interest. As women, we are fighting against certain elements, and we want to prove how good we are. You can only do that by winning things—and we can help continue growth by achieving this."