Jess Fishlock: Wales' most capped player eyeing politics career

Jess Fishlock has played for Reign and been based in Seattle since the inaugural season of the National Women's Soccer League in 2013

Wales' most capped player Jess Fishlock says a future career in politics is her priority once she hangs up her boots.

The 35-year old recently signed a new two-year deal to remain in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) in Seattle at OL Reign until at least 2023, so has no imminent plans to retire.

Fishlock says a political future appeals more than staying in football.

"I don't want to live my life inside a bubble and not be aware of what is happening in the world," Fishlock said.

Fishlock was named the NWSL's most valuable player for 2021 and has an option in her contract to continue playing until she is 38.

However, increasingly the midfielder, who has won 127 Wales caps, is thinking about a future outside of the sport.

Appointed an MBE in 2018 for "services to football and the LGBT community" Fishlock says she has been giving consideration to a political career recently.

"I have given it thought for a while now. I'm always following, always reading what is happening all over the world," Fishlock told BBC Sport Wales.

"I've lived all over the world... and I've always followed governments and their policies and everything like that.

"In the last two years everything feels crazy, there have been a lot of big decisions that as a human being, I have been really against.

"Obviously I kind of live in a bubble as an elite athlete, I could easily live my life without stepping out of it, but I don't want that.

"Whenever I think about the end of my career, I think I want to try and stay in the game and help progress things.

"But then there is a much bigger side of me that thinks 'I could do that on a bigger scale. Not just help football, but try and help everybody, to be in a party that is at least trying to do that'."

Fishlock says she has already had tentative conversations about the potential career change.

"It's what I feel, that politics is what I really want to do," she said. "I've spoken to a couple of people about what I will need to do to start that process.

"Look, it is a long way off, but if I say 'what do I want to do?' that (politics) is what I to do, whether I get to do that I don't know, but it is just such a passion of mine.

"The energy crisis. Food shortages. I want to try and be better. And make things better.

"Over the last three to five years it has felt like we are going backwards and that has affected me."

In the short-term Fishlock can focus on football and says her decision to remain in Seattle with OL Reign, who return to pre-season training on 1 February, was an easy one, having signed a new deal last week.

"I tried to factor everything I wanted as a player and a person in my decision," she added.

"I wanted to match up the club and country situation, be professionally challenged all the time, to be ready for Wales is really important for me and putting all that together, it made staying at the Reign a no-brainer.

"It's a club that has always supported me and this league is the best in the world, which is also going to challenge me."

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