Defender Rebekah Pratley has become a strong and reliable presence at the back in her first season for Sheffield Wednesday Ladies, combining physicality with composure as she continues to enjoy her football once again.

Pratley's journey into football began at a young age, with her early experiences and her dad's influence helping to shape the player she is today.

Speaking on how it started, she said: "I got into football around the age of 4. My Dad signed me up to join the local boys team Bridlington Rangers where I played until I was a teenager. I think growing up playing in a boys team is the reason I’m such a physical player.

There weren't a lot of opportunities growing up for girls football in Bridlington, but I was very lucky. I’ve got a very supportive family, so my mum, my dad, my auntie and my grandad would all take it in turns to commute, and drive me to be able to play football in York, Leeds and Hull".

Her style of play has been influenced by those who she looked up to on and off the pitch:

"My footballing idol on the pitch would be Aaron Cresswell. I’m an Ipswich Town fan so when I was younger I’d go watch the game most weekends. Being a defender myself, I looked up to him and his style of play. Off the pitch though, my dad is a massive inspiration”.

Describing herself as a football player, Pratley highlighted the balance between aggression and control that defines her performances:

“I’d describe myself as physical, I love a good tackle, and I love to win a good header when the ball is in the air. But, I'd also say calm. I like to play traditional football, pass it about, which I think we do a lot of at Wednesday".

Like many players, her journey hasn’t been without setbacks, with a serious injury testing her mentally as well as physically.

Speaking to Pratley about her toughest period, she said: “About a year ago, I fractured my knee, and it's the biggest injury I’ve ever sustained. It took me months to return. At one point I didn't know if I’d fully recover, which was scary for me. It was hard with all my friends still playing and I had to just watch from the side-lines".

Despite that setback, Pratley has also experienced memorable highs in her career, particularly during her time in university football:

"When I was at Hallam playing our rivals [University of Sheffield] during Varsity. Not only did we win, but I scored from outside the box, which is a rarity for me. That was a great feeling and a unreal moment to have surrounded by my friends and family".

Away from the pitch, Pratley has built a career closely linked to the game:

“I work as a physiotherapist in the NHS, I think playing football definitely influenced me to take this as a career path and study it at university. Seeing my teammates get injured, even myself and how much physios can help, and I wanted to give that back".

Now at Sheffield Wednesday, she has rediscovered her enjoyment of football and is thriving in a positive environment:

“I’m loving it, the girls are amazing, the whole team’s amazing, prior to this was my knee injury and I was playing for a team which was making me lose a bit of love for the sport. Joining this team has brought back that spark and I look forward to all the every training session and every game".