IT was a PE lesson taken by a representative from the Irish Football Association that first sparked Northern Ireland footballer Joely Andrews’s interest in the sport.
Since then, the Antrim-born midfielder has gone on to play for Glentoran, represented Northern Ireland in the Euros in 2022 and last year she signed her first full time professional contract with Scottish Women’s Premier League team Heart of Midlothian.
“Originally I wasn’t sure if playing football for a living was going to be a realistic possibility,” says the 22-year-old, who studied psychology at university.
“So to sign for Hearts was unbelievable - it was something I’d always wanted to achieve and to do it now when there’s so much going on within the sport is just amazing.”
There has been a growing appetite for women’s football in recent years which Joely credits to the success of the UEFA Women’s Championship in 2022.
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“It’s been really cool to be part of the journey that women’s football has been on over the last few years - I feel very lucky to be part of the generation that’s seen and felt that change in the sport,” she says.
“I think a lot of the interest has come off the back of the Euros in 2022, not just because England hosted and won it but also because Northern Ireland qualified that year which was the first major tournament any Northern Ireland women’s team has ever qualified for.
“I was lucky enough to be part of the team which was just incredible – we played all our matches at St Mary’s Stadium (in Southampton), brought loads and loads fans and the atmosphere was unbelievable. It was a massive honour to be a part of.”
In addition to playing Joely was also involved with coaching some of the younger squads while at Glentoran which she says has seen an “incredible increase in numbers” since 2022.
She adds that this has been a literal “game changer” as it means many all-girls teams will no longer have to “play with the boys.”
“I’ve always played for an all-girls team, but I was really lucky that I was able to access one – I actually ended up at Glentoran because there weren’t any all-girls teams in Antrim,” Joely explains.
“But we would’ve played against boys teams because there weren’t enough competitive girls leagues and I know that wasn’t always well received.
“Whereas now girls can just go into an all-girls academy and play against each other which is so much better for their development – it’s class that they don’t have to go and play with the boys.”
However, despite football being heavily male-dominated, Joely says the biggest challenges she’s faced in her career “are the same for most footballers.”
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“The biggest ones are probably just not being included in squads and not getting any playing time.
“As a footballer you always want to play, doesn’t matter who it’s against you want to start every game and play every minute of every game but in every squad there’s maybe 20 to 24 people fighting for 11 places which can be tough.
“But that comes with the territory and just pushes you to perform more consistently so that you do get a stable space within the squad.”
Although Joely is keen to clarify that despite the fact football is, by nature, a competitive sport much of her love for it comes from being part of a team.
“I’ve made so many great friends through football and a big part of my enjoyment comes from getting to play alongside them,” she enthuses.
“Football brings the highest highs and lowest lows and your teammates have seen you in both situations.
“They’re always there to get you through hard times and when the good times come it’s unbelievable to be able to share it with your best mates.”
When asked what advice she’d give to the next squad of budding female footballers - or anyone with a desire and passion to pursue a career in sports she said:
“Enjoy the journey and grab every opportunity you’re given with both hands, whether big or small.”
Looking towards to the future Joely is aiming to follow her own advice and enjoy a long and fulfilling career in football.
“A massive goal for me would be to go to another major tournament with Northern Ireland, we’ve qualified for the Euros it would be unreal to qualify for a World Cup.
“But on a personal level, I just want to have as long a career as possible, stay in the game, enjoy it and keep developing.”
