Lauren Wilshaw: The Buxton Baller

Lauren Wilshaw: The Buxton Baller

For defenders in Division 1 Midlands, there are few sights as intimidating as seeing Lauren Wilshaw running towards them on the attack. The tricky 19 year old forward already boasts an impressive FAWNL career having played for clubs such as Stoke City Women, Notts County Women and is currently chasing promotion with Peterborough United Women FC.

Lauren sat down to share her football journey with us - which runs from her early decision to choose between cross-country running and football, to making her Tier 3 debut at 16, and navigating the mentally draining challenge of balancing high-level football while maintaining her passion for the beautiful game.

Her story is one marked by an incredible love for the game and an impressive sense of perseverance that has pushed her to continue through tough times.

The Early Beginnings

Lauren’s football journey began on the school playground when she joined her primary school’s girls team. Her dad was her PE teacher and he was a huge influence in Lauren’s early love for sports. Despite playing for her school team, she initially prioritised running, with the fitness that this demanding sport gave her, only improving her footballing prowess.

As a midfielder, Lauren’s fitness allowed her to be everywhere on the pitch and she played a key role in her school team winning the Derby County Championships. Her innate footballing ability was quickly picked up by coaches and referees alike and this resulted in Lauren being invited to trial for her Borough team. Even when the girl’s team did not end up being formed, this did not stop Lauren, she simply got into the boys side instead!

Overcoming Distance and Challenges

Growing up in Buxton, a town which is situated over an hours drive away from major footballing cities such as Manchester and Derby was in itself, an obstacle for Lauren. Even playing grassroots football was difficult as Buxton did not have a local side at the time forcing her to travel over 30 minutes just to play football.

After being accepted into Stoke City Women FC at U14s, lift sharing with a close school friend also at Stoke, made achieving Lauren’s football dream possible. Even with lift sharing however, playing for Stoke was a huge commitment, with Lauren suddenly being thrown into being at Stoke 4 times a week at the age of 12. These late night training sessions meant Lauren would often get home at 11:30PM - a big change for someone whose bedtime had previously been around 8:30PM!

The Big England Call-Up

Lauren’s clear talent and unwavering commitment to football did not go unnoticed and after impressing during her first season at Stoke, Lauren received what every young footballer dreams of: an England call up to the trial camps in Warwick. Whilst Lauren still distinctly remembers the sheer joy she felt up this call up, she also recalls the enormous pressure that this environment put her under.

For her, this incredible experience was sadly partly tarnished by the extreme nerves and anxiety that this highly pressurised situation put her under - to the point that Lauren remembers being sick on the first night. Reminiscing on the whole experience, Lauren wishes that she could have simply enjoyed the moment more and appreciated the milestone for what it was without putting too much pressure on herself.

Rising Through the Ranks

At only 16 years old, Lauren was rising through the ranks at Stoke City and her hard work saw her rewarded with an incredible opportunity - joining the first team. Being the youngest on the team did not come without challenges however, Lauren often had to contend with increased expectations being placed on her due to her youth. Despite a tough learning curve upon being thrust into playing amongst bigger and better players, Lauren began to make her mark at this level, earning some early starts and putting in some impressive performances.

As Stoke transitioned into a semi-professional environment, the expectations mounted for Lauren who began to put enormous pressure on herself to win and perform to the highest standard. As she neared university age, balancing her studies and football became increasingly difficult.

The University Experience and the Shift to Peterborough

A sports scholarship to play football for the performance team at the University of Nottingham marked the next chapter in Lauren’s footballing career. Prior to coming to UON, Lauren admits that she did not quite ‘understand the hype’ around university football and confesses that she was sceptical coming into this set up.

However, this change could not have come at a better time. With playing at Stoke having begun to drain Lauren physically and mentally, she found that the environment of university football was beginning to return Lauren’s love for the game. It gave her a new perspective on football as she realised that if it was something that she could enjoy again - a real confidence boost following some difficult and mentally challenging years at Stoke and England.

During her first year at university, Lauren played for Notts County Women FC alongside the University of Nottingham First Team. Although she could feel her love for the game coming back and her confidence mounting, overall the season was a frustrating one. County were struggling in Tier 4 and a heartbreaking extra-time loss in the BUCS National Championships semifinals meant that Lauren walked away from this season empty-handed - a heavy blow for someone whose mood can revolve around football performance and results.

Her second year at uni has already seen some exciting developments for Lauren however. Externally this summer saw her link up with her university coach Jake Poole who is manager at promotion chasing Peterborough United Women FC. She has already impressed in Tier 4 this season with a definite highlight being her standout performance against her former club Notts County. In a thrilling 4-3 victory, Lauren scored 2, assisted one and won a penalty for her side, picking up the POTM award for her efforts. Within the Uni football environment, Lauren has also been shining and is now looking ahead to her BUCS National Championship semi-final fixture against Northumbria University in a week's time.

The Need for Investment in Women’s Football

When asked about what women’s football needs to improve, especially within the Women’s National League, Lauren makes her opinion very clear: more investment is needed. For many teams in Tier 3 and 4, they do not receive adequate funding and this can adversely affect the football on display. She is adamant that more investment would bring in better players, improve the standard of play, and ultimately attract more fans to fixtures. Something that Lauren feels strongly about is the need to incentivise young players to choose playing in the FAWNL over academy football.

Lauren herself grappled with the dilemma of whether to play for u21 teams like Manchester City or Sheffield United, but she instead chose to join Stoke in the National League, a decision that she would not change as she believes taught her aggression and perseverance.

Photography by Richardson's Photography

Looking Ahead: Hopes for the Future

Lauren’s ambitions for the future are crystal clear. Her immediate goal is to help Peterborough get promoted and achieve a place in Tier 3. She also hopes to contribute to her team’s success in the upcoming BUCS National Championships.

However, the most important thing for Lauren is to simply continue to enjoy playing football. Prior to starting university, she struggled with her relationship with the game, with the immense pressure that she put herself under negatively impacting her performance. Now, within a supportive environment, Lauren is rediscovering her love for the sport that started in a Buxton playground many years ago.

Lauren's story is one that began with a deep love for football and has since blossomed into an incredible workrate and unmatched desire to win. From playing in primary school to becoming a key figure in university and National League football, she has shown that with determination and the right support network behind you, you can overcome the odds and continue chasing your dreams— no matter how far away the nearest football team might be.