Bend It Like Chapman (Katie Chapman)

A career interview with the player who appeared on the first cover of She Kicks in June 2001, flanked by Joe Cole and Michael Carrick and about to turn 19, a cover she cringes at because it features in Bend It Like Beckham. Chapman had won the Double with Millwall at 14 and was by then a professional with Fulham heading to England’s first major finals in six years. She recalls being shocked to be going, and Hope Powell describing her as the best young player in the country. She reflects that three years of professionalism at Fulham taught her how essential a full-time environment is, and that its end was disappointing but came too soon for the game. A detailed timeline runs from her 1996 Millwall debut to the 2015 Chelsea Double.