Josie Green: Wales and Leicester player driven by making family proud

Josie Green joined Leicester City from Tottenham Hotspur

She is an unsung hero for club and country, but Leicester City and Wales' Josie Green says making her family proud remains her primary focus.

The 30-year old is an increasingly important figure for Wales and could return to the starting XI for the Euro 2025 qualifier in Kosovo.

However, Green was absent from Wales duty for almost five years as she dealt with the loss of her biggest supporter, her father Clive.

Honouring her dad remains the key driver in her career, as Green says: "Everything I do is for him."

A five-year hiatus

Born in England, Green qualifies for Wales through her grandmother, who hailed from Pontypool.

Green made her first Wales appearance in 2011 as a teenager, having received her first international call-up when she was just 16.

However, from 2014 to 2019 Green would be absent from Wales squads as she dealt with the devastating loss of her father to pancreatic cancer.

"When I took the time out it was a really tough time for me," Green told BBC Match of the Day Wales.

"It was around the time my dad passed away. A new manager came in and it was an unsettling time in my life.

"Everything happens for a reason and I feel like I am a stronger person for that experience, because of that journey I have gone on.

"I was only 20 at the time and he was ill for five years. He had pancreatic cancer, so we knew the prognosis and what was going to happen.

"Going through that at a young age, you've got to grow up pretty fast.

"But going through that probably made me the person that I am today."

Green says her father continues to inspire her.

"Everything I do is for him," she said. "He used to come to every single game. He's a massive part of why I am where I am today.

"I love seeing parents coming to games. It is so nice to see players having that moment with their parents.

"I am lucky I have such a close-knit family with my mum and siblings supporting me. It has been tough, but I have a good support network.

"I have a lot of support from my family."

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Focus on mental health

Mum Liz, her siblings and partner Marcus continue to be Green's biggest fans, but she says a focus on her own mental health has helped her football.

"I would like to think I'm someone the team can rely on," she added.

"No matter what is asked of me I want to step on to the pitch and do a job.

"I know what works and how to get the best out of myself, I have high expectations of myself.

"In the past 18 months I have really found meditation, breath work and mindfulness has become a big part of helping me on and off the pitch to get the best version of myself.

"It is something I kind of fell into and now I am finding the benefits of it and how it can help my game."

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