WHY I LOVE… KIM LITTLE

It’s hard to write something about Kim Little. Not because she hasn’t achieved much. On the contrary, it’s because as a writer, you want to do her justice. And Roos Schelen does just that in her heartfelt appreciation of the Arsenal legend.

At 35, Little is one of the most highly thought of and still one of the best players in the Women’s Super League and maybe even the world. The Arsenal icon and captain has just signed a new deal that keeps her at the club for another year, which is great news for the Gunners.

When you think of Kim Little, you think of Arsenal. When you think of Arsenal, you think of Kim Little. But technically, Kim Little is not a one club player. Having joined Arsenal from Hibernians in 2008, she left the club at the end of 2013 to join Seattle Reign. Little also enjoyed a loan spell at Melbourne City in 2015-2016, before returning to Arsenal in 2017.

She has racked up over 400 appearances for the club, scoring 177 goals. Little has won many a trophy in an Arsenal shirt. Just the six league titles, three FA Cups, seven league cups, one Community Shield and the FIFA Champions Cup.

Most notably though, Little lifted the UEFA Women’s Champions League in May last year. When Leah Williamson spoke to the press after Arsenal’s semi-final win in Lyon last year, she probably managed to put into words what every Arsenal fan was thinking: “Kim Little is an unbelievable footballer that goes under the radar all the time. […] She is a player worthy of seven or eight Champions League titles”.

Little Change

Little started her career in the 10 position for Arsenal, but has moved back to defensive midfield in recent years, where she keeps showing her skill and talent. Place Little in a phone box with a ball and someone impeding the exit, and she’ll make her way out in the most technically gifted way possible. Little is unbelievably strong in small spaces, is excellent at recovering the ball and is just an ever-present anchor in that Arsenal midfield. Her skills and continued high level are making her hard to replace in the middle of the pitch for Arsenal, at age 35.

Arsenal have brought in Victoria Pelova, Kathrine Kühl and Kyra Cooney-Cross in recent years, but none of them have been able to secure a starting spot in that Arsenal double pivot in place of Kim Little. Although fans will want to see her play forever, at some point even Kim Little’s body will no longer be able to play football at this level. For now, Kim Little’s succession plan has been the victim of her own success, and it will be interesting to see how Arsenal eventually replace her.

Teammates speak nothing but highly of Little. It leaves no question that she is the leader of this team. In a video released by Arsenal Women on their social media, Alessia Russo says that she vividly remembers her first training session at Arsenal with Kim Little. Impressed with the standards that Little set that day, Russo made it her aim to meet those during her time at Arsenal.

Kim Little is the quiet leader and lets her work do the talking. She is the first one to arrive in training and the last one to leave. In the WSL summer break in 2022, Little decided she was not going to sit still and joined OL Reign on loan in the NWSL. That move is so illustrative of Little as a player: always working hard.

Little lives much of her life out of the limelight and is not active on social media. As a result, her performances tend to go under the radar. Ask football fans and football players who they think is the most underrated player, and there is a good chance they will name Kim Little.

Little Respect

The respect Little has from her peers was nicely illustrated by a scene in Lisbon, on 24th May last year. Arsenal fans will know that is the day their team won the Champions League at the expense of FC Barcelona. While Little was waiting to pick up her medal and the trophy, Barcelona’s star Bonmati approached Little and shook hands with her.

In a piece written by Little on The Player’s Tribune, she says that as a player, she’s mostly looking forward. Looking forward to the next step, next training session, next meal, next match. She barely allows herself to look back, because that takes the focus away from the performance.

She has witnessed the growth of it all. From bringing her own lunch to training in 2008, to working with a fully professional staff in a multitude of departments now. Hopefully, one day, Little will be able to look back and see that her career has been game-changing. But for now, she is still an Arsenal player for another year.