Katie Johnson has described the feeling of signing a contract with Wolves Women as ‘amazing’, after the defender became one of three players to put pen-to-paper.
Alongside Anna Morphet and Tammi George, Johnson is the first women’s player in club history to earn a contract having first joined the Old Gold as an eight-year-old. Since making her senior debut aged 16, Johnson has go on to amass 79 appearances for her beloved Wolves and has captained the team at times this season.
She believes that signing a contract is a step in the right direction for the women’s section and admits that it’s a ‘dream come true’ to find herself in this position, but is hopeful this is just the start of further progression to come in the future.
On signing a contract
“It feels amazing, to be honest. When I heard the news I was shocked, but so excited to hear all about it.
“I think it’s a step in the right direction for the girls. For the three of us who have got them, I think it’s definitely deserved for the other two because I know how committed they have been.
“For me coming through, I think it's good to show the other girls that there is a pathway for the younger ones coming through and a route to the first-team, and the hard work does pay off if you just stick it out and listen to your manager.
“We've all been with Macca (Dan McNamara) for a good few years now, and I think his passion has really shone through. The fact that me, Tammi and Morph have stuck with it and trusted him, and now we're getting this progression – it really just shows the direction that the club's going in so it's really positive.”
On her journey at Wolves
“I think I was eight. I was actually playing football at school and Wolves Foundation came in and did a bit, and they asked me to go down for a few training sessions.
“I couldn't actually play for a team at that point because I was too young, so I had to train with the under-10s for a couple of years whilst playing for a boys team.
“I had Tom Warren for a lot of my coaching career, and we made a great bond and went through so many highs and lows, many tears and cup finals.
“Progressing through has been a dream for me and it still feels surreal now and captaining the side a couple of times this season has been a dream come true - not just for me, but for my family as well because they're lifelong Wolves fans.
“It’s exciting and sometimes I have to remember what I'm doing it for because sometimes the pressure of the games can get to you.
“I just have to remember eight-year-old me and how excited eight-year-old me would be right now. It's a dream come true for me and I think for a lot of girls it would be, and some of the girls progressing through the ranks now can see that it does work.”
On her aims for the future
“The dream is for everyone to be professional. A couple of the teams in our league are and that is the dream for me - to be a professional footballer. Not just a professional footballer, but that for Wolves.
“I had a couple of offers over the summer, but it doesn't feel the same as being at Wolves. It's just something that's in my heart with me and my family, and I think with us three getting contracts, it's shown our dedication.
“If all the girls can get equal opportunities going forward and get what we want financially, with the calibre of players that we've got already and if we get the backing that we deserve, I think we can really start to push on and get to where we want to be, which is the Championship.”
