The Beckhams? “Yeah – of the lesbian world” Arsenal Women Beth Mead & Viv Miedema
In a far-reaching interview with The Times, Mead discussed her life since winning Euro 2022 with England.
The winger was a key player for the Lionesses, scoring six goals to win the Golden Boot and receive the Player of the Tournament accolade.
She has since become a household name in England, telling The Times how she was regularly recognised while on holiday with Miedema on the Greek island of Zakynthos.
When the interviewer joked about the couple reaching the same level of fame as the Beckhams, Mead quipped: “Yeah – of the lesbian world.”
Both Mead and Miedema have received a nomination for the Ballon d’Or, which they found out about while on holiday.
“I was buzzing,” Mead said. “I was like, ‘Wow, I’m nominated for the Ballon d’Or.’ She [Miedema] said, ‘Yeah, it’s my fifth time. I’m really proud of you though.’ I was like, ‘Jesus.’
The 27-year-old Mead opened up about being left out of the Team GB squad for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
“I was probably in one of my most difficult moments in football,” she said. “I took it hard for a month or so.”
The Arsenal star went on to have a brilliant season in the Women’s Super League, finishing with 11 goals and eight assists, before continuing her impressive form at Euro 2022.
“Someone made a T-shirt and sent it to the ground,” Mead said. “It’s got my boot on and ‘Beth Mead Revenge Tour’ and the dates of all the games and little flames on it from when I scored.”
Mead was also motivated on the pitch by her mother’s cancer diagnosis in August 2021.
This year’s been my toughest year off a football pitch, even though I’ve played my best football,” she said. “I’m really close with my mum, so that hit me hard.”
“I think that’s why I appreciate everything maybe a little bit more. It put it into perspective not to dwell on things, to live freely and that I should appreciate all the moments on and off the pitch.
“And, for me, that helped my football. I was free on the pitch, and it showed in my best football.
“I wanted to make my mum proud, my family proud. As dramatic as it sounds, she didn’t even know if she’d be here at this point, so to be able to share that moment and memory [of winning] with me is priceless.”
Mead will be re-joining the England squad for World Cup qualifiers on September 3rd and 6th, before starting the new WSL season with Arsenal and Miedema on September 11th.
Michelle Maxwell
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Ok I know she mentioned it the interview herself but I’m not sure it’s necessary to highlight it in the headline or even mention it in this article as though it’s either important or of any real interest.
Agreed GB
Same as vegans or vegetarians,as examples,the need to tell us just grates ,good for you but FFS just talk about football.
I would imagine if only 2 posters have felt the need to post other fans feel awkward with the subject because of her lesbian talk .
No one cares in this day and age unless your a tool but some fans will feel if they say something off cuff they will get ripped apart.
Seems the headline including the untypical football word “lesbian” is intended to garner comments.
No possible other reason for mentioning it, IMO.
Rather sad, in the 21st century, though I realise we don’t ALL live in that century, disappointingly.
Excuse me Mr Fox!
That was a DIRECT QUOTE from Beth Mead.
Do you have a problem with that word being discussed?
PAT so it may be. But it is of no importance or relevance to her or anyones elses football. So why mentionit UNLESS AAS WE BOTH KNOW TO BE TRUE, the REAL aim of JA is simply to garner posts. I notice that not a single one disgrees with my position and all think it pointles mentioning it. Perhaps or perhaps not, that might , JUST MIGHT, tell you something!!
Just as when DAN SMITH, quite somemonths ago, listed our best ever black players and was rightly called out by more evolved Goonerds who felt there is no need to mention skin colour.
I note with wry satisfaction that he has not repeated THAT mistake , just as I hope JA does not repeat a pointless sexuality matter, even when Beth herself raised the matter.
What if she had said she had been abused by her father or mother; would that have also been fair game for JA “report”
! It is not a football matter and as you have many times toid us all, JA is a football site, NOT A SEXUALITY SITE NOR SKIN COLOUR PLATFORM!!!
Finally PAT, I suggest in all seriousness , that a site that flies in the face of its readers and users desire to live in the 21st rather, than the 20th century, needs calling out too.
OK Jon, I’m definitely calling you out on that one.
Now that JustArsenal is covering more and more news from the Gunners Womens Team (covered by Michelle) you will find the use of the words Lesbian, gay and LBGT+ in MANY more posts.
These are all common words used by Arsenal women players and their interviewers. It is NOT considered to be a taboo subject, as you seem to suggest we are not allowed to allude to it.
And the next question is all too easily deduced. Why can’t men footballers be openly gay, while it is totally acceptable in the womens game?
Now which one of us is living in the 20th centuru???
What a travesty of a reply!
Yoiu are actually trying to make me the defendant and an opponent of free speech, when I have spent a lifetime standing up for REAL, not fake free speech, and when it is YOU who always use whatever tactics you need to GARNER POSTS.
You are not being honest with yourself and to attack me, one of the most supremely TRULY liberal fans on this planet, is a gross insult.
You ought to have the grace to apologise, but I know you wiIl not!
On your one sensible line, “Why can’t men players be openly gay”, you know very well that I ,together with the overwhelming majority of evolved Gooners, also agree with that.
The bottom line is that JA should NOT be using peoples sexuality, race or any other wrongly perceived so called “difference” from the “norm”, whatever the “norm” is, in your headlines.
I note that apart from Beth herself, supposedly in jocular fashion, using the word lesbian” it was otherwise ignored in the article but NOT in YOUR headline.
The WHOLE POINT is that someones race, sexuality or any other supposedly minority “state of being”, has no bearing on them, or on us and should not be used onYOUR site simply to attract posts As you know very well!
I HAVE NO MORE TO SAY, AS MY COMMENTS FALL ON WILFULLY, THOUGH FINANCIALLY OPPORTUNISTIC, DEAF EARS!
I expect this free speech reply to be deleted, as so many others have been across thryears.
What double standards. Sigh!
I have no problem with gay or lesbian subjects being discussed on JustArsenal and Michelle will be doing more posts to make this more acceptable to football fans.
You seem to think EVERY post on justarsenal is simply engineered to get clicks. Well if you don’t like something don’t read it but we are not going to stop having posts about the women’s team. And whether you like it or not a large percentage of them are lesbian and proud of the fact..if you don’t want to read them ignore anything with Women in the title…
I’m with Jon on this one, Pat. Of all the direct quotes to choose, it was the one highlighting their sexuality. This site is better than resorting to the gossip pages for clicks.
People have just lost their minds after they realised they are supporting lesbians🤣🤣🤣
I’m African and conservative ,I feel your pain
Surely by taking a quote from an interview and highlighting it is celebrating the openness of these 2 spectacular footballers and highlighting a major difference, in my opinion, between the male and the female game in terms of LGBTQ+ openness and inclusion. I think Beth has given a very open, honest and frank interview and it covers everything from her success with the Lionesses at the Euros 2022, her Ballon d´Or nomination, her return to the England squad for the World Cup qualifiers and dealing with her mothers illness. And, of course, the fun light-hearted quip which I used as the headline – this was predominantly because recent articles, published on JustArsenal , had already covered
Beth Mead and Vivianne Miedema´s Womens Ballon d’Or nominations and the Euro 2022 success and Beth´s return to the England squad for the World Cup qualifiers.
I am disappointed that Viv is not straight, though it has been known for years.