‘I am fully committed to Arsenal. I cannot imagine being anywhere else.’ Interview with Emily Fox

Emily Fox is from Ashburn in Virginia, a short drive from DC and the Audi Field. She starred in the USWNT’s Olympic campaign that saw them regain their gold medal, a fifth overall. Fox was one of the US’ star players in the tournament but there is little time to bask for the 26-year-old right-back, who is back in training and in contention to play some minutes in the friendly against Chelsea on Sunday.

Fox didn’t play in last Sunday’s 2-1 win over Washington Spirit but says she watched on with interest, before joining the team for training on Monday. ‘I watched the game and I could see how hot it was and my team was probably a little bit shocked by how hot it was. It was a great game and very back and forth. The Spirit girls have said to me they already want a rematch! It looked like a great preparation for the season. Spirit are a top team.’

USWNT winger Trinity Rodman did not play in that game having played a starring role for the US in the Olympics, playing ahead of Fox on the right-wing. ‘She is the best!’ Enthuses Fox. ‘I haven’t spoken to her since I have been back but she is such a huge player for Spirit and for the National Team, she is so fun to play with and an amazing person.’

Fox is asked by a Colombian journalist who were favourite players from the men’s team are. ‘Because I am an outside back, Ben White and Zinchenko. I love watching them play, I used to play at left-back a lot and I used to do the inversion that Zinchenko does too, it’s always nice to watch those games and get some inspiration from both of those players.’

The same journalist asks Emily what fans can expect from Sunday’s friendly against Chelsea at Audi Field. ‘Be ready for the heat! Bring an umbrella but not for rain for some shade! We are so honoured and excited to have a huge game against Chelsea in the US, having this unique opportunity to play them in the US is amazing.’

I ask Fox what the last few weeks have been like, where she starred in the Olympics but has no time for reflection, rest or recuperation as Arsenal negotiate a September that sees them play Champions League qualifiers before they open their WSL season with a crunch home game against Manchester City,

‘The Olympics was crazy but amazing, playing every three days was a lot but it makes it more special because we put so much effort in to get the win and the gold medal. I knew the short turnaround was coming so I was mentally preparing for it and I have been communicating with the staff the whole time about how I feel.

‘We have a good programme in terms of my lead in to the season, I think we are going to make sure throughout the season that I am being managed. I feel confident because we are all working in tandem together to make that work and play, but also to be healthy.’

I ask her whether the gold medal for the USWNT felt significant for a new group of emerging talent. The last two tournaments had seen uncharacteristically poor showings from the US and this squad has seen them move on from a generation including the likes of Heath, Press, Rapinoe, Morgan, while veteran captain Becky Sauerbraunn was injured and with a new coach in Emma Hayes.

‘Our mentality is to take it one game at a time, celebrate the wins but then to move on because we have another match to play. It is more about being confident but being humble about it.’ Fox went off injured in the dying minutes of their extra time victory over Japan, leaving many Arsenal fans fearing the worst. Thankfully that injury didn’t turn out to be serious. I ask Emily whether she feared the worst in the moment.

‘It caught me off guard because I didn’t see the player coming. The contact of it and being on my knee was scary. Scary for me and for a lot of people. I normally don’t go down, I normally don’t go off.

‘I wasn’t thinking worst case scenario but I knew I would need to get it looked at and checked out. We were able to get an MRI quickly and being able to manage the pain and move on with that, thankfully that ended up being the only real factor.’

While Fox hasn’t had much time off since the end of the Olympics, she has at least been able to come home. A native of Ashburn Virginia, not far at all from Washington, this match represents a homecoming of sorts.

‘Having a big send off here at the Audi and a lot of my friends and family are coming is incredible. I know Arsenal Women have not played here before I feel like it’s just a great way to get into the new season.’ After six months in England, Fox is now well placed to remark upon some of the differences between the NWSL and the WSL.

‘I would say the main difference is the travel, our furthest game in England is like a three and a half hour drive, in the NWSL it is different because America is so much bigger. My experience so far has been amazing and I am so grateful for how smooth the move was and how welcoming everyone was.

‘Being an American playing in an English club, I knew that was a risk but that was why I wanted to do it, to push myself. I feel like Arsenal is the perfect club for this.’ On the differences between the leagues, she says, ‘In the NWSL any team can win the title, it’s so competitive that you can be bottom of the table one year and win it the next.

‘The NWSL is more transitional, for sure, but I do think that is changing. In the WSL, the idea of just blowing teams out is changing and the idea that one team is definitely going to win a game is changing as well. There are differences between the leagues but in terms of overall level, they are similar.’

A US based journalist asks her whether she wants to experience any other European leagues during her career. ‘I am fully committed to Arsenal and I am saying that because it is 100% how I feel. I can’t imagine going anywhere else.

‘In terms of other players moving between the countries, yeah I think that will happen more. The NWSL is getting more overseas talent, here we are getting sold out crowds at the Emirates, there are a lot of things going for both leagues.’

Whatever is or isn’t going for the WSL or the NWSL, Arsenal have Emily Fox as their right-back and while that is the case there is plenty going for Arsenal.