Lianne Sanderson tells her football story in Sport Allies film for National Inclusion Week

"They had a lot more respect for her after the game than they did before."

As a stand-out player in a boys team, the young Lianne Sanderson began shattering expectations at an early age.

Her parents always believed in her ability and her will to win. Dad Jeff changed jobs and racked up thousands of miles around the M25 in order to ensure Lianne's burning passion for football was best supported.

People who know me, know how much I love football. Football is my religion, and I eat, sleep and breathe it.

Growing up in Catford, south-east London, she dreamed of making it to the top of the women's game - and her persistence and dedication ultimately paid off. Now aged 31, she can look back on a career that delivered a half-century of England international caps, a slew of honours with her beloved Arsenal, and club spells in the USA, Spain and Italy along the way.

In the second of three short films on inclusive sport specially created by the charity Sport Allies working with talented graduates and students from the London Film School, and supported by Sky Sports, Sanderson tells her inspirational story alongside her close friend Sharifa and her family.

Amid the sacrifices made by the Sandersons, there were other challenges to overcome. Lianne reflects on incidents of racism; of stereotypes attributed to gay players; and the uphill battle to earn respect in her own right and for women's football in general.

"I want people to know that they shouldn't judge people so quickly," says Sanderson. "People make comments about me, and they don't know anything about me."

Get to know the real Lianne Sanderson, and learn about her life in football by watching the video above.

Sky Sports is proud to support both the Sport Allies 'Spotlight' short films project, and National Inclusion Week 2019.

Contact us if you'd like to share a story to help raise awareness around inclusion in sport.