Fara: Sticking with the Toffees

Tony Leighton’s cover interview with Everton and England midfielder Fara Williams, 26 and 81 caps, before the FA Cup final against Arsenal. Williams has three losers’ medals – two with Charlton, including an own goal she rates good enough for a goals-of-the-century compilation, and one with Everton in 2005 – and is desperate to finally lift the trophy, drawing confidence from Everton’s 2008 League Cup win over Arsenal. She concedes the league title has gone and that Everton perform better as underdogs, reviews a relentless year that left her needing a holiday, and previews qualifiers away to Malta and Spain. Williams explains turning down Philadelphia Independence because she did not want to leave Everton, hopes the Super League avoids the overspending that killed LA Sol, and describes fitting five days of training a week around her job as an FA Tesco Skills Coach, with full-time coaching her long-term aim.