Minterview Series x Meikayla Moore (New Zealand & Liverpool FC defender)

The trio welcomes Meikayla Moore into the mix. Zipping around the city several months ago, we scooted into an early-morning training session with a level of intensity that could only indicate a focused and professional athlete. Turns out the athlete we stumbled upon was Liverpool Defender, New Zealand international and Olympian, Meikalya Moore. When it comes to ultimate professional athletes, Meikayla ticks every box. Level-headed, passionate, conscientious, and constantly striving to improve her sport for the next generation. If you're an ardent football fan and care about the beautiful game and its progress, this one's for you. Moore takes us through her player pathway from her native Christchurch - from being the only girl in CO-ED to U17 Championships and conquering Europe. Platforms and philosophy, we hear the overwhelming pride in representing her country and how pulling on the Fern's strip for the first time has shaped who she is today.

Meikayla discusses her contemporaries, who she looked up to coming up in the game, and why it's important to have representation as a young female athlete. We delve into the transfer market via the Bundesliga to Liverpool FC and the comparisons to the men's game, as well as the clubs' working to smash the glass ceiling. Money talks, wage gaps, and pushing the game forward - how male footballers can help revolutionise women's football, and how in turn, men can learn a thing or two from women when it comes to inclusion and equality. Meikayala talks us through a World Cup injury and what the road to recovery looks like as a professional athlete in 2021.

All of this PLUS that good old Everton / Liverpool rivalry, and how it feels being in the city. As if that wasn't enough, we chat about the upcoming Tokyo Olympics, expectations for her country, elevating women in sport, and LGBTQ+ activism. Meikayla speaks her mind on inclusivity, and how important it is to find your own voice.

Stick with it to the end for a Quickfire Q & A that includes player insight you won't find anywhere else...

Running order:

-Introduction 00m 39s

-New Zealand Beginnings 1m 38s

-CO-ED Experiences - 3m 05s

-Ferns & Olympian 15m 57s

-Women in the game - 23m 31s

-Europe The jump to Germany - 33m 36s

-Covid - 41m 15s

-EFC / LFC Rivalry - 46m 22s

-Injury & Recovery - 51m 04s

-Equality & Activism - 1hr 4m 20s

-Quickfire Q & A - 1hr 14m 14s

-The Kop 1964 She loves you - 1hr 16m 54s

Follow

@meikaylamoore

@nzfootballferns

@liverpoolfcw

Photographed by Paul Johnson

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