MARKETING - The PRIDE Magazine by Liontrust - Flipbook - Page 19
She shoots...
SHE SAVES
Her career highlights so far include captaining England, three FA Women’s Cup
final victories and scoring three goals at the 2012 Olympics, and Steph Houghton
MBE applies the same work ethic to her finances.
Interview: SAM BARRETT
Manchester City
and England defender Steph Houghton
is acknowledged as one of the most
accomplished women footballers of
her generation, but when it comes to
her finances, she concedes she is not
perfect. This Lioness is indebted to her
parents for giving her the skills to help
her achieve her money goals.
How much cash do you have in your
wallet right now? Probably about £6
in loose change. I don’t tend to carry
much cash around as I use my bank card
whenever I can. Contactless payments
are so convenient. If I’m out for a coffee
or a meal with my boyfriend or the girls,
I always pay by card.
How did your childhood influence
your attitude to money? My mum and
dad were always careful with money.
Mum stayed home to look after us and
Dad was an electrician, working long
hours to support us. We never went
without but we did have to be careful.
Their approach gave me a great work
ethic and also taught me to really
appreciate money. I’ve got a great job
now, and a good deal with City, but
even when I was studying at university
I worked part-time. If I have a family, I
would love to pass this on to them.
What did you spend your first pay
on? My first job was working Saturdays
in Sports Soccer in Newcastle. I only
used to work three or four hours a week
so it wasn’t a huge amount but I do
remember spending the first pay I got
on a new pair of trainers.
What has been your most expensive
purchase? My house in Worsley. My
boyfriend and I bought it last year and
although we’d saved for a while for
the deposit, we never realised just how
much money goes into buying a house.
Are you more of a spender or a saver?
A bit of both really. If I’ve been away
with England for a couple of weeks, it’s
great to go shopping for clothes and
food when I get back. At the same time,
I also like to be careful with money and
will always save when I can. You never
know how long it will last, especially
in football.
Do you have a pension? I do. I have
two through my football contracts
with Manchester City and England but
I also set up a private pension when I
joined City.
Would you say you’re good with
money? I would say I was, although
I suspect that my mum, dad and
boyfriend would probably disagree
with that, especially when they see me
with a load of Topshop bags.
Do you have a financial adviser or do
you prefer to do it yourself? I’ve got
an accountant who helps me with my
tax and also advises on my finances. It’s
good to be able to run things by him.
What’s the biggest financial mistake
you’ve made? It was a car I bought
when I was younger. I had been able
to drive for a couple of years and all my
friends had cars so I wanted one too.
I really wanted a Vauxhall Corsa and
although my dad told me that I didn’t
need it, I had to have it. He was right
though, it was always breaking down
and it cost me an absolute fortune in
repairs at the garage.
When did you realise that you could
make a living playing football? When
I was 21 the FA introduced central
contracts for England internationals.
I’d always worked alongside playing
football but this meant I was able to
focus on what I love doing.
Issue 1 Winter 2017 - TH E P R I DE - 19