2025-01-26 12:57:23
Katie Reid has admitted school is a “bit of a reality check” after playing for Arsenal.
The 18-year-old defender made her first team debut for the London club in April 2024 but she insisted few of her classmates “batted an eye” over her frequent time off, even when she’s played in the Champions League.
She told Match of the Day magazine: “No one really batted an eye.
“It’s school, everyone’s just there to learn.
“My friends made a big deal out of it but it was a bit of a reality check to be honest.
“You make your debut and then it’s like, ‘Urgh, now I’ve got to go to school.’ “
But as her education has progressed, the teenager admitted juggling sport and her school work has grown more difficult.
She said: “My school gave me time off to play but I always made sure I was up to date with the schoolwork.
“Teachers would try and help me at break times and lunch.
“I started missing more school when I was doing my GCSEs because we were travelling so much for the Champions League. The school let me do less homework, but I worked hard to keep up.
“It’s a lot harder now I’m at A-level, I can’t lie.”
Katie often finds herself doing homework on the team bus – and her teammates get in trouble for “distracting” her.
She said: “All the senior players come up to us and have a look and say, ‘Oh what are you doing?’ and ‘That looks hard’, and then they get told off for distracting me, haha!”
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