Laura McAllister: Wales representative will use voice in Uefa role

Laura McAllister narrowly lost an election to be Uefa's representative for women on Fifa's ruling council in 2021.

Ex-Wales captain Laura McAllister will not be "frightened" to raise her voice on Uefa's executive committee.

McAllister was appointed unopposed to the supreme executive body of European football's governing body, the first Welsh person to be elected.

She also acknowledged the added responsibility as a woman on a committee dominated by men.

"I've always relished that sense of responsibility that comes with taking on leadership roles," she said.

"Yes it is a pressure obviously because I'll be the first Welsh woman there - I'll be the first woman from any of the British countries there.

"That brings an added responsibility, being a woman in a group of 19 men will be interesting let's say.

"But I've spent the last six years working with Uefa so I know quite a few of the individuals involved and I hope they see I have a contribution to make.

"I won't be frightened to raise my voice it's appropriate."

McAllister is deputy chairperson of Uefa women's football committee and a member of its working group on gender equality.

Having won 24 caps for Wales as a player, the women's game remains close to her heart but McAllister stressed her remit would be far reaching.

"It will always remain a really important priority for me because it's where I came from as a player," McAllister told BBC Wales.

"But I don't want to be seen just as someone who speaks on the women's game because my background is in football strategy generally.

"So I hope I'll be somebody who can stress test some of the strategic work Uefa is doing and certainly advocate for better resources, better investment and greater profile for the women's game across every European country.

"Because at the moment development is uneven and some countries are just starting on their journey of developing women's football.

"There's countries like Wales that are aspirational to be where England, Germany, Spain and Italy are now."

McAllister had been among a group of players who lobbied the Football Association of Wales to take responsibility for the women's national side in the early 1990s.

Now under the auspices of the FAW, the national side reached the play-off for the 2023 World Cup while the women's game in Wales has developed with the formation of the Adran Leagues structure.

"I think we're at a critical stage on a journey we've planned carefully," McAllister said of the current state of women's football in Wales.

"That's the joy of having a clear strategy for developing the women's game.

"But we need to keep investing in the way we are just to stand still and that's always a problem for a small nation like Wales because we don't have unlimited resources.

"I am delighted that the FAW invests as heavily as it does in the women's game.

"I'm delighted we've come so close to qualifying for a major tournament and I've got every faith that Gemma Grainger will get the women's team over the line and qualify for the next European Championships.

"That's so important for us because it's a complete game changer as we saw with England in the Euros last year and as we'll see in the Women's World Cup in New Zealand and Australia later this summer.

"But there's other things we need to do. We need to broaden the workforce of football to make sure we've got more women involved in refereeing, coaching and administering clubs.

"And we need to professionalise the sport in every sense, and that's not just about making women players full-time paid but it's about professionalising every tier so that it's professional in how it operates.

"We've got more work ahead of us but I'm really confident we will get there."