Homeless and away games

From living on the streets... to playing football for England and going for World Cup glory

- BY EMMELINE SAUNDERS

An England football team is dreaming of matching the success of the Lionesses next week by winning a trophy abroad.

Just as England's women found Euro glory in Switzerland, so England's homeless team is seeking success in Oslo, Norway, against 39 other nations.

Last year they were runners-up to Mexico. This year they aim to go one better at the 20th annual Homeless World Cup.

The players have all experienced homelessness at some point - and one of their mentors knows exactly what they have been through.

Former Lioness Fara Williams MBE, who made a record 172 appearances for England between 2001 and 2019, has spoken about living on the streets after a family relationship breakdown when she was 17.

She pretended to her teammates that everything at home was fine.

Fara, now 41, said: "People have a judgment of who should be homeless and who shouldn't, and I felt people would judge me. I put on a brave face and lived my life as a normal person would, as though I was living at home."

Fara, who went on to help transform the women's game, escaped homelessness in her 20s after getting work as an FA community coach and moving to Merseyside.

She credits football for turning her life around, as does homeless team striker David Kennedy, 28.

He says he can forget his thoughts when he is playing and has built lifelong friendships with his teammates. David, originally from Sunderland but who now lives in Newcastle, was handpicked for the squad because of his promising talent.

His life used to be very different. "I had a rough childhood and was in and out of hostels for a lot of it," he said.