‘I was a great player’ – Sam Fox reminisces on her time as a footballer

Model and singer Samantha Fox has reflected on her time playing for Arsenal Women’s Football Club after the England Women’s team triumphed in the Women’s Euro 2022 final.

Fox, 56, found fame in the early 1980s as a Page 3 model in The Sun newspaper before going on to forge a successful singing career.

Speaking to ITV’s Good Morning Britain, Fox discussed a lesser known fact about herself – that she once played for Arsenal Women’s Football Club before leaving the sport because she was too small.

After presenter Richard Madeley revealed she had once played for the women’s squad, Fox said: “Women’s football has come so far since I played.

“It’s just amazing. I was number seven. I was the David Beckham.”

She continued: “I was a great player.

“The only thing against me was being tiny because the girls used to be so big when they used to attack me, I quickly learned to do nutmegs, which were through the legs and run around.”

The England women’s football team beat Germany 2-1 on Sunday evening in front of a crowd of 87,192 at Wembley Stadium.

Fox, who was on the weekday breakfast show with her wife, Linda Olsen, also spoke about finding love again after losing her former partner, Myra Stratton, to cancer in 2015.

Fox and Olsen met in Norway after Olsen bought “meet and greet” tickets for a concert of Fox’s.

“At the grand old age of 56, I mean I’ve always wanted to be married, always,” Fox said.

“I was nearly married before but something very unfortunate happened, and then I met lovely Linda six years ago and never looked back.”

She added: “Love at first sight I would say.”

The pair married on June 18 after postponing their wedding as a result of Covid-19.

Speaking about the wedding and the progress of LGBT marriage, Fox said: “Because of waiting three years, I was so excited when the day happened.”

Adding: “It’s amazing that it wasn’t legal 50 years ago, because we believe that love is love.”

Reflecting on the death of Ms Stratton, Fox said: “It certainly puts life into perspective.

“And when you go through something like that, you certainly grow up, and you see life for what it really is.

“And she was very, very brave and I think anybody looking after somebody dying from cancer (is) very, very brave too.

“It’s one of the hardest things I think I’ve ever been through, and I’ve been through a lot in my life and my career.”

Good Morning Britain airs every weekday at 6am on ITV.