Paige Williams

Paige Louise Williams (10 March 1995 ) is a former English footballer who played as a defender. She previously played in the FA WSL and the Serie A, as well as representing England at youth level. She now works as a firefighter.

Club career A native of Liverpool, Williams joined the youth programme at Everton at age 14, later signing a professional contract with the club. She made her senior debut in 2013 but shortly afterwards suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury that required surgery and forced her off the pitch for several months. In 2015, following a disappointing season for Everton in the FA WSL 2, Williams made the move to Italian side Brescia. She left the club in 2019.

International career Williams has represented England on the under-15, under-17, under-19, under-20, and under-23 national teams. She was considered as one of England's most exciting emerging talents following strong performances at the 2013 UEFA Women's U-19 Championship, in which the team were runners-up. Her ACL injury threatened her chances of playing at the 2014 FIFA Women's U-20 World Cup but she recovered successfully in time to be selected.

After football Following her departure from Birmingham, Williams experienced what she called "a bit of an identity crisis", working in a supermarket warehouse while contemplating her future in football. After the COVID-19 pandemic caused her to have further doubts, she decided to train as a firefighter. She took part in the 2024 British Firefighter Challenge.

Personal life Williams identifies as LGBT+ and is active in the Merseyside Fire and Rescue LGBT+ network.

Honours

Brescia Serie A: 2015–16 Italian Women's Cup: 2016

Everton Women's FA Cup runners up: 2013–14

England UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship - Runners Up 2013

Birmingham City Women's FA Cup: runners up 2016–17