37 parts Ongoing Aleid van Alstine has been representing the Netherlands since she was seventeen, kickstarting her career at nearby club FC Twente, before moving to Germany to play for Wolfsburg, then to the United States to play for the Houston Dash, and now to England for her next adventure at the north London team, Arsenal. Despite having been relatively at home at Houston, with a girlfriend and even a dog, she missed Europe and her family terribly, along with the sport she loves. Football has always been her safe place, and when the coronavirus pandemic took away nearly two seasons from her, she knew she couldn't wait any longer, especially with the upcoming Olympics.
At Arsenal awaits some of her closest Dutch friends, and she can't wait to play with them, but for some reason, moving clubs feels like the wrong decision. It couldn't be though, Arsenal has all she ever wanted. They're a great club in a competitive league, there are world class teammates, it's relatively close to the Netherlands and she already speaks the language, so what's holding her back? Long distance is always difficult, especially when Aleid has spent so long quarantining with no one but her girlfriend, Kristie Mewis. What will happen when their relationship threatens to crumble? What will happen when there's another person, for not only Aleid, but also for Kristie?
To make matters worse, there comes a point where she feels as though there's no one she can trust, and when she finds out that it's not what she thought, she doesn't know how to react. The pressure that comes with playing on the big stage, constantly being watched by fans and critics all around the world, is something professionals have to learn to deal with. Everyone knows that it's extremely difficult though, and alongside her own personal problems, she isn't sure how much longer she'll be able to cope. Will she be able to escape the drama, or will a series of lies threaten to break her down?
a Leah Williamson story.
