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Women's Euro 2025 call-up 'a dream come true'

Grace McGrory
BBC News
Rob Makepeace
BBC Sport
Nick Potts/PA Wire Olive Clark, with brown hair in a ponytail, has her arms out in front of her. She is about to catch a ball which is travelling towards her. She is wearing a red football shirt with EE in yellow letters. She is wearing white goalkeeper gloves. Nick Potts/PA Wire
Olivia Clark is the goalkeeper for Leicester City Women

A footballer said it was "a dream come true" to have been selected to play for Wales at the Women's Euro 2025.

Olivia Clark, 23, will play in goal in the team's first major tournament.

Wales' first game is on Saturday against The Netherlands.

Clark, from Lincoln, said: "When you're a young girl kicking the ball around a garden, this is something you dream of."

Alan Clark Olivia Clark, as a girl, smiling at the camera. She is kneeling and is holding a white football. She is wearing a red and white striped football shirt and is in front of a football goal. Alan Clark
Clark played in youth teams at the Lincoln Centre of Excellence

Clark started playing football at primary school, initially for the boys team.

She said: "I thought, if I want to play football, that's the only way I'm going to play, and I actually loved it.

"If you ask a lot of girls now that are playing at my age, we all used to play with the boys and I think it gave us a good introduction to football."

Clark then joined the Lincoln Centre of Excellence and played for age groups from the under 10s to the under 15s.

She went on to play for a number of teams including Nettleham Ladies FC, and Bristol City Women.

She is currently the goalkeeper for Leicester City Women.

Ms Clark was 16 when she attended trials for Wales after spotting an advertisement on social media.

"My mum's side of the family are Welsh so I always knew I could play for Wales. I just didn't know how to get into it," she said.

"If I didn't open Twitter that day, I might not be going to the Euros."

Nick Potts/PA Wire Olivia Clark is smiling at the camera. She is wearing a red football shirt, which has the Welsh dragon emblem to the right. Her hands are on her hips, and her brown hair is pulled back into a ponytail. She is standing on top of a mountain. Nick Potts/PA Wire
Clark was in goal on the night Wales qualified for Euro 2025

Ms Clark made her senior debut for Wales in 2021, and was in goal on the night Wales secured their spot at Euro 2025.

Alan Clark, Olivia's father, said: "I don't think you could get any prouder at all.

"I thought I was proud before, but that game in Dublin when they actually achieved qualification - she said it was the best day of her life and it wasn't far off the best day of my life."

Reflecting on the tournament ahead of her, Ms Clark said: "It's really easy to get carried away with the moment.

"I want to remember enjoying it, not thinking I'm so nervous and doubting myself. I don't want that to happen.

"It's a massive personal achievement, but also a massive achievement for the country, and one I'm really excited for."

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