Gilly Flaherty says if she could relive anything from her playing career it would be leading West Ham out at Wembley in the FA Cup final in 2019.
Flaherty was the captain of the Hammers at the time and the club reached the final for the first time in the 2018/19 season. They played Manchester City, who won the game 3-0 after goals from Keira Walsh, Georgia Stanway and Lauren Hemp.
Flaherty, who played for other clubs like Arsenal and Liverpool, retired in 2023 and was speaking before being inducted into the Women’s Super League Hall of Fame alongside Alex Scott, Steph Houghton and Rebecca Welch.
Gilly Flaherty: ‘If I started my career five or ten years later my life would be completely different’
The 33-year-old, who is now a pundit, said: “I would love to relive walking out at Wembley with West Ham when I was captain.
“Obviously the beauty of the FA Cup is the underdog and I think that was the typical story with West Ham getting there [to the final] so I would love to redo that all again.”
It was not only the Hammers’ first time in the final but it was the first time West Ham’s women’s side played at Wembley.
Flaherty may not have won the trophy that day but her silverware cabinet is stacked.
She won 22 trophies in total throughout her career. Flaherty was a part of the golden Arsenal era, in the 2000s, where they won the quadruple in the 2006/07 season which included an invincible league campaign.
The ex-England defender says she has reflected on what it would be like to play at her peak now with women’s football having higher standards, better pay and more recognition.
Flaherty, who is FourFourTwo’s view is one of the best emerging pundits, said: “I think the first thing I think of, if I’m being honest, is what if I had started my career maybe five years later or ten years later? When I was at my peak if I was now playing in that and we have what we have now, my life would be completely different.
“That is just from a selfish point of view. I think I am excited for the youngsters coming through, now they see the women’s game is professional.
“If you said ‘oh well listen back in the day we used to have three or four jobs, we used to train in the evenings and we were still expected to play at the top of our game’ they would say you’re having a laugh. Now they come through and all they know if the professional game.”
