‘it Challenges You’: Laila Harbert On Playing With Boys And Her Journey From Arsenal To Portland

The header connected Arsenal’s website successful early August 2023 was short and sweet. “Teenage trio to subordinate Watford connected dual agreement,” it read. That trio included Michelle Agyemang and Katie Reid, 2 players whose names were known to nan keenest of fans past and who person since go portion of mainstream speech for hugely affirmative reasons. More precocious they person deed nan headlines for a much devastating reason, having some sustained anterior cruciate ligament injuries.

In immoderate footballer’s profession a spot of bully luck is needed, alongside a head being brave capable to return a chance connected you. The knee wounded that led to Leah Williamson missing nan start of nan Women’s Super League play created nan abstraction for Reid to beryllium fixed an opportunity successful nan first team, while an Alessia Russo ankle sound led to Agyemang’s first England call-up successful April. Both subsequently shone, making nan forced interruptions to their respective master journeys especially cruel.

What, then, of nan 3rd subordinate to subordinate Watford from Arsenal connected a dual statement a small complete 2 years ago? Is she, too, quiet for a chance to unit nan doorway unfastened astatine Arsenal arsenic soon arsenic it opens a crack? Well, her sanction is Laila Harbert, an 18-year-old midfielder who joined Portland Thorns this summer, her 3rd indebtedness move – she was besides astatine Southampton – coming midway done nan National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) play arsenic she looks to up nan strength and level of her playing experience.

Speaking to nan Guardian from Portland, Harbert describes watching Agyemang and Reid do what they’ve done successful nan past six months arsenic special. “It motivates you to gain nan correct to get successful that position and support moving and for your chance,” says Harbert, who signed her first master statement pinch Arsenal successful January and past period made her debut for England Under-23.

Reflecting connected nan ACL injuries sustained by Agyemang and Reid, Harbert describes herself arsenic “gutted”, saying: “It’s nan benignant of news you ne'er want anyone to receive, particularly astir your closest friends. It’s a worrying clip for america arsenic players, pinch nan number of ACL injuries continuing to rise. It’s clear that thing needs to alteration and much must beryllium done to find solutions that protect us. As soon arsenic I’m backmost successful England, I’ll beryllium consecutive location to support them.”

Harbert was 9 erstwhile she joined Arsenal’s academy and, 2 years later, she was asked really she would consciousness astir training successful nan boys’ academy, thing that by past had go nan norm astatine nan club. She took nan opportunity and trained pinch them, arsenic good arsenic pinch nan girls’ teams, until her mid-teens. “It challenges you connected nan mini details,” says Harbert. “Boys people are faster and stronger, truthful it becomes astir really I tin usage my method expertise to debar getting into immoderate of nan duels that possibly I would beryllium connected nan backmost ft for. They play a spot faster too, truthful you get amended astatine moving nan shot astatine precocious speeds. How overmuch it had improved maine really showed erstwhile I went backmost into nan girls’ environment.”

Laila Harbert (left) training pinch boys astatine Arsenal. Photograph: Graeme Robertson/The Guardian

The midfielder’s family made sacrifices truthful she could prosecute a profession successful football, including moving from southbound London to Hertfordshire truthful she was person to Arsenal’s training base, nan thought being that less agelong drives would assistance her capacity levels. For Harbert that showed “the committedness that nan full family had for me, a 10-year-old pinch a vision”.

Harbert was connected nan chair for Thorns’ melodramatic extra-time triumph complete San Diego Wave connected Sunday to group up Saturday’s NWSL playoff semi-final against Washington Spirit, who vanished 4 points supra them successful nan regular season. Her indebtedness ends erstwhile Portland’s playoff tally is over, which, they hope, will beryllium pinch triumph successful nan last connected 22 November.

After that, who knows? Arsenal are waiting until aft nan playoffs earlier they speak to Harbert astir nan adjacent shape of her development. And that process tin beryllium long, pinch less and less opportunities for teens to get first-team shot successful an progressively professionalised WSL. “There’s nary constituent successful shying distant from nan truth that nan mean property successful nan WSL is astir 25-26,” says Harbert. “At 18 you are sitting location thinking: ‘When is that going to beryllium imaginable for me?’ The main point astatine my property is conscionable to beryllium getting elder minutes successful and that elder vulnerability nether my belt.

“If it’s not going to beryllium astatine my genitor nine past they person a scheme successful spot for maine that isn’t conscionable constricted to these loans; it’s a longer-term scheme that I’ve bought into and they’ve bought into. That’s been nan astir important point for maine throughout, knowing that location is simply a bigger image and each of these loans are done pinch nan purpose of maine yet coming backmost to Arsenal and past hopefully competing to start.

“Sometimes I thin to get truthful wrapped up successful nan result and nan thought that I person successful my caput of wherever I want to be. That tin make you hide what really matters, which is enjoying it. So it’s astir refining what occurrence is for maine time by time and period by month, moving connected what I tin control, doing what it takes to beryllium nan champion type of myself to spot wherever it gets maine successful nan future, and enjoying it on nan way.”