Jess Fishlock MBE
International
9 June 2018

Jess Fishlock MBE

Following Thursday night’s win against Bosnia-Herzegovina, Jess Fishlock has another reason to celebrate after being awarded a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for her services to women’s football and the LGBT community.

Jess Fishlock

  • Debut v Switzerland 2006
  • Cap #100 v Northern Ireland 2017
  • 110 caps, 29 goals

Fishlock started playing football as a 7-year-old with Cardiff City Ladies before her career took her across the globe. She has represented sides in England, Holland, Australia, Scotland, Germany and the USA where she is currently co-captain at Seattle Reign. Fishlock is recognised globally as one of Wales’ most prominent and most successful athletes.

On the international stage, Fishlock captained the U19s team before making her debut against Switzerland in 2006. In April 2017 she became the first Welsh football player, male or female, to reach 100 caps as she captained the side and scored in a 3-1 win against Northern Ireland. Recently, Jess has been a key part of the squad in their attempts to qualify for the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup, having played in every game despite the intense travel commitments.

Speaking to FAW.Cymru, Fishlock says she is honoured to have received the award “It’s great to be recognised for who you are and what you do. It's really nice for my family and the squad as well, it's great to see as footballers that we're getting recognised and things are going in the right direction.”

With the MBE, Fishlock has also been recognised as a role model for the LGBT community and she hopes she can inspire others. “It really hits me close to my heart. People have such a hard time within themselves let alone society so it’s important that everyone is ok with who they are, and they feel safe with who they are. Since I’ve got to that point I’ve been the best version of myself and I want others to feel the same.”