Striker Laura Bartup is the latest player from the Leeds United Women’s team to give us an update on what she has been up to during lockdown.

Getting to know the 24-year-old a bit better after she joined the club in the summer of 2020, Laura gave us an insight into her life both on and off the football pitch. 

So Laura, to begin, what are you up to at the minute away from football? 

“I am quite busy, really! I work in a residential school as an LSA with autistic children, so I am at work Monday to Friday, I do a lot of hours and I’ve been working in a residential home as well which is close to the school. I’ve done as much overtime as I can whilst football is off. Away from work I have been going on runs, going on walks and a few zoom quizzes, so just trying to stay positive and busy through lockdown really.

“It’s been tough, especially working with autistic children it can be hard at times to explain that they can’t go off-site and do their usual activities, so that’s been challenging at times but also very rewarding. Some days you are absolutely shattered and think ‘oh gosh I am glad that is over’ and other days you come away with a big smile on your face, so I do enjoy it. I am lucky enough to be able to get up and go to work every day unlike some other people so I'm grateful for that. I can’t wait for it to be back to normal so I can hug my family and friends again.”

So that’s you off the pitch, can you tell us about your journey on the pitch? 

“When I was young I was really shy and wouldn’t go and play football. I used to go and watch my sister play who is three years older than me, she was playing for a boys team and then went on to play for a girls team. Everyone used to be on the sidelines watching me have a kick about and ask why I wasn’t playing, it was because I was too shy! I finally went to training with a boys team and started to play with them for a little bit, then I joined a girls team and at the age of eight I went on trial at the Hull Girls Centre of Excellence. I got in there and stayed until I was 14, but the centre got shut down sadly due to cut-backs. I went from there to the Lincoln Centre of Excellence and stayed until Under 17 level. 

“My next step was Doncaster Rovers Belles where I trained with the first team regularly whilst playing in the development squad. I went to a couple of England camps whilst I was there, but I found myself quite unhappy playing so I decided to step away from football for a few years, I had just fallen out of love with the game. When I was at University, in my second year I joined Liverpool Feds who are actually in our league now and played for them for two-and-a-half season’s which I really enjoyed. I was then unsure whether to move back home or stay in Liverpool, but I signed for Brighouse and then moved on to Barnsley. This season, I decided to join Leeds United Women and I have never looked back!”

You joined Leeds United Women over the summer of 2020, what made you want to join the Whites?

“I knew I wanted to sign here after my first session, I felt welcomed straight away. The manager, Dan, spoke to me and asked me to come along to training so I went and the girls were lovely. I remember thinking that I didn’t want to leave the car as I thought they would hate me for being at Barnsley, I scored the winner against them! I knew really there would be no issue and there was never any doubt after the first day of training that I wanted to be here.

“This is an exciting club. When you hear the name itself, you just know you are at a big club when you are playing under the name of Leeds United, especially with the men’s team being in the Premier League as well.”

What can you tell us about yourself as a player, what’s your style? 

“I like to score goals! There hasn’t been many games but I am not happy that I’ve only scored three this season, I always want more as any striker will do. I played centre-mid as a youngster and then in the last four or five years I have played as a striker, but sometimes I drop in a bit, it’s natural sometimes for me to go deeper and get on the ball a bit more. As a player I feel I have good hold up play, I feel I can finish well and down the years I have a good scoring record. I’d like to think coaches rate me but who knows, everyone has different views don’t they! I do love a free-kick as well. There’s a couple of us here who like to take them so it will be a fight when it comes to taking the next one.”

Women’s football is continuing to grow, just how much are you enjoying seeing the progression? 

“Women’s football is definitely on the up and it has been for the last few years. Look at the top league now, they’re getting a lot of support in the WSL. I’ve got a couple of friends who play in the higher league, we all play because we love it. There isn’t the level of money compared to the men’s game so it’s just purely for the love of the game. A lot of us have jobs to go alongside it. It has been so good to see the numbers at the Women’s World Cup for example, the amount of support there. I am only 24 so I would like to think the game can only get bigger and bigger as the years go on!”

Finally, we all like a behind-the-scenes story. In your short time here, what are your favourite memories from training or matches so far, anything funny to tell us?

“One that springs to mind is during training once Rebecca Hunt was just dribbling on her own, nobody around her, and out of nowhere decided to do a step-over! There was nobody near her, I will never forget it and I remember laughing so much about it and asking her what she was doing, I think she thought she was on FIFA. We still wind her up about it now, every session is a great laugh.”