The Halfway Line had the chance to chat to Caitlin Foord in preparation for Arsenal’s opening UEFA Women’s Champions League fixture with Bayern Munich.
We had the chance to speak to Foord about her positional changes, playing at Emirates Stadium, and the fine-line between versatility and consistency.
‘I felt a bit like going back in time’ joked Foord on playing the full-back position
Since the arrival of World Cup and Champions League victor Mariona Caldentey over the summer window, Gunners boss Jonas Eidevall has been seen to deploy Foord on the right-side a lot more. When asked whether she finds this positional change particularly different, Foord analysed “It’s very similar, if anything it is somewhat easier being able to be on my dominant foot a lot more.”
The forward continued, “We only really had three wingers until now, so we’re working it out with me, Mariona and Beth [Mead]. We have more players coming back now so I am not really sure on which side I will play more often now, but I have always been open to playing on either side, as long as I am on the pitch!”
Once upon a time, the Australian was a defender looking to ply her trade in the full-back position. Fast forward many years, Foord has established herself as a powerhouse attacker across several top-flight leagues on the global stage. Despite this, recent fixtures against Leicester City and Everton have seen Foord deployed in both the left and right-back role, something she laughed at when remarking “it has been a while!”
“I thought that was because we were thin on full-backs but Jonas had a conversation with me after training and said it might be a potential option. Our full-backs played a lot of minutes, and he said depending on how the game was going it might happen. It felt a bit like going back in time being back there but I was happy to do the job and not concede.”
‘I am a player that likes a challenge’
Anyone who has watched Caitlin Foord through the years knows that she is much more than the left-winger that we have recently seen her pigeon-holed to be. Foord has flexed her muscles in both the 9 and 10 role for Australia, whilst spending a lot of time on the right side throughout her career.
When asked whether versatility is something that she welcomes, or whether she has a preference for consistent positioning, Foord gave a measured answer.
She said, “As a player, you value consistency to focus on one thing, but at the same time, I am a player that likes a challenge. For the national team, I am more on the left but I will be put in the 9 or the 10. So, I just feel like it makes me refocus and switch on and I don’t mind change everything now and then. But wouldn’t want it every single game!”
Emirates Stadium ‘feels like home now’ says Foord
Arsenal continue to act as trailblazers for the positive momentum that the women’s game is now carrying, after the club announced that they will be making a semi-permanent move to Emirates Stadium in the summer just gone. Playing in the red and white since January of 2020, Foord has been a part of the team who has witnessed the positive growth of Arsenal over recent seasons.
Speaking specifically on what it is like to play in N5, Foord remarked “It is incredible. We love playing at the Emirates; it’s a special feeling. The biggest change is that in the first few games we played there, it didn’t feel like a home game because it was something different. Now, it feels like home, and having the fans piling in as well – those are the games you play for, in packed-out stadiums.”
Foord then praised how the club continue to lead the growth of the women’s game across attendance fronts, expressing “To see Arsenal be the leader in that sense across the board is so exciting, and it’s nice to be a part of it and part of the change. It’s also satisfying to see other teams having to follow, but still not getting as much as we do. It’s nice to know we have such a great fan base, and every time we go out, we want to put on a show to keep them coming back.”
