My dad tried to make me a Tottenham fan but I became an Arsenal legend instead

Arsenal star Leah Williamson admits she had a huge choice to make when tasked with choosing her football allegiance.

The Lionesses captain found herself in the unenviable position of having to either follow mum or dad’s club – which just happened to be Arsenal and Tottenham.

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Stuck in the middle of the north London divide and with her dad desperate to side with him, Williamson was given the opportunity to sample both clubs before making her final decision.

“My dad is Spurs, my mum is Arsenal so I was handed a choice,” she told BBC’s The One Show. 

“My dad took me to my first game which was a Spurs game and then I went with my mum to the Arsenal. I obviously chose correctly.”

Williamson went on to join Arsenal’s Centre of Excellence in 2006, aged just nine. The long road to the first team came to fruition when aged 17, she made her debut for the club in a Champions League quarter-final clash with Birmingham City.

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A Premier League and two-time FA Cup winner, Williamson has gone on to become a legend for both club and country.

Ahead of this weekend’s clash, she was asked how the family dynamics work on derby day, to which the star simply replied: “It doesn't.” 

Williamson recently made her long-awaited return from an Anterior Cruciate Ligament injury which kept her out of last year’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

The 27-year-old has made six appearances this season as Arsenal hold onto their slim hopes of pipping Man City and Chelsea to the WSL title.

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The defender will already have one eye on next season’s title charge as well as England’s push for Euro 2025 glory following the Lionesses' miraculous triumph in 2022.

But for now, focus is on both Arsenal women’s and men’s teams in what is a pivotal weekend for both.

Williamson heads to Everton at 12.30 on Sunday for a WSL clash before attention turns to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium where Mikel Arteta’s side face a crucial clash which will go a long way to determining the destination of this season’s Premier League title.

Williamson won’t be home to watch Sunday’s derby but will be hoping family tensions can be kept to a minimum in her absence.