Japan tournament is perfect preparation - Q&A with Chelsea Ladies striker Eniola Aluko

 
29 November 2013

Chelsea striker Eniola Aluko is in Japan for the International Women’s Club Championship, which starts today.

Is there still a gap between women’s football in england and the rest of the world?

I think the FA WSL (Women’s Super League) is going in the right direction. Certainly I was frustrated four years ago when I went out to America but there have been a lot of improvements. We are attracting foreign players, coaches are improving and there’s more movement of players. For me the key thing is for the professionalism to keep improving and the national team to be treated with the same seriousness and level of respect as the men’s team.

Would being allowed to play at Wembley for England be a boost in that regard?

Something like that would help hugely. When we played at Wembley during the Olympics as Great Britain, 75,000 people turned up and I am not necessarily saying that will happen again but unless you try it you don’t know. The players would absolutely love it.

Do you believe the public appetite exists to see that Olympic experience replicated?

There’s more interest in women’s football than a lot of people think. When it has been done properly, such as the Olympics, we saw unprecedented crowds. So it is all about trying it and seeing if it works. You will never know if you keep saying that people are not interested. Five years ago I am sure the BBC would never have contemplated putting a women’s game on TV but when they did they got more than a million viewers for each game.

How are Chelsea approaching the tournament in Japan?

I think it is a great opportunity for us to hit the ground running with next season in mind. It will be great playing against different types of opposition, which will be unknown territory for us, but it’s also a chance to increase our commercial presence. I am really excited to see how it all goes.

Did you have to get time off work?

Yes I did. Fortunately Lee & Thompson, where I am a trainee solicitor, have been brilliant in that regard. You need an understanding employer and I am lucky to have one.

What do you know about women’s football in Asia?

Japan are near the pinnacle of women’s football and that’s where we want to be. They have a more possession orientated style of play based on movement and short triangles. That’s the way I think the game should be played and that’s the way our coach, Emma Hayes, is encouraging us to play.

In terms of England, how are the team adapting to life after Hope Powell?

I think we are adapting really well. After 15 years of Hope being in charge, perhaps a new direction was needed. We want to put the Euros behind us. We all took the criticism on board and it is fair — we were not good enough. It is nice to get some wins under our belts with the World Cup qualifiers.

Did you ever consider representing Nigeria as your brother Sone (the Hull striker) has?

Really my only aim was to play for England and get to the top, which I have done. Nigeria are very close to my heart and I’m very passionate about my roots. It was not my path to play for Nigeria; it was my path to play for England.

How much do you get to see of Sone?

He comes down to London and Birmingham quite a lot. We are chatting on the phone and I try to see as many of his games as possible.

What was it like growing up with him?

We had a sports-mad household. We watched a lot of football and it was a great environment to be in because football and sport were always encouraged. We had plenty of kickabouts together growing up but it was never too competitive — we have always supported each other.

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