Jorja Fox also reveals how her parents helped guide her towards being a footballer; Plus the England U19 international reflects on a stunning summer for the senior side; This article was first published prior to the football postponements following the death of The Queen
Friday 16 September 2022 06:50, UK
At the age of 19, plenty of teenagers across the UK are living away from home for the first time. For most, it is for university. But for Jorja Fox, she has moved to Brighton to play professional football, on a season-long loan from Chelsea.
"It's my first time moving away from home, but it's nice to only been an hour away and I can visit whenever I want. My friends and family can come down too so it's nice. And Brighton is not a bad place to live!"
The defender is blessed with a coastal location in one of the UK's most vibrant cities for the next 10 months, but it's clear her main focus is developing herself at Brighton.
She finds herself under yet another legend of women's football in Hope Powell, having trained under Emma Hayes since moving into the first team. It also follows a loan spell at Charlton last year, where she worked with Karen Hills.
"I had a couple of options in the WSL, but for me and for Chelsea, Brighton seemed the best fit," Fox explained. "Playing under Hope was a big pull and I think it'll make me a better all-round defender at the end of this loan spell. I'm settling in well, it's taken some time, but I feel comfortable here now.
"It's been a privilege playing under Emma and I've learnt so much. But I always think it's important to test yourself, get out of your comfort zone and coming here to Brighton, playing under a new manager, having to prove myself again, adapt to the different training styles, different managing styles, I think that's going to be really important for me.
"Hope is a very well-respected manager and I hope I can get the best out of her, which I think I will because it's been good so far and I've learnt a lot.
"Last season, I played in the Championship and tested myself there in my first senior football league. Now it's about taking a step up into the WSL and challenging myself against the best players in the world and in Europe. This year is a really important year in my development and I'm ready to take it by the scruff of the net and go for it.
"I really enjoyed my time at Charlton. It was good for me to get regular game time after a year and a bit at Chelsea not playing, but learning and training. So it was good for me to implement what I'd learnt at Chelsea into senior football.
"For me, the main thing I learnt was the physicality it takes to play at senior level. You've got to be tough, expect challenges, but hopefully I can bring that physicality into the WSL and use that to push on.
"I feel very privileged and I don't take it for granted. Playing under three different managers who are all very highly respected, I've learnt so much. I hope I can build on what I've learned from all three and use it to build and helped my development."
Fox has made her way through Chelsea's youth ranks, having joined the club at the age of eight. Her mum has previously spoken about taking her to the shops for a treat after her first trial, wondering what she had exposed her daughter to such was the talent.
"I remember the trails very well," Fox reflected. "When I was younger, I was very low in confidence, I didn't think I was very good, but my parents always backed and that's why they took me to the Chelsea trials.
"It was the London Olympics when I was trialling and there were the Olympic mascots. So after each trial, they'd get me a new bit of merch with the Olympic mascots, so that was my motivation at the time.
"I'm very grateful for my parents because without them, I definitely wouldn't be where I am today.
"As soon as I could walk, my parents had a ball with me wherever I'd go, whether that was a tennis ball, a football - we'd go on a walk and I'd have a ball with me, that's what I enjoyed. I'd have a baby in one hand and a ball in the other.
"When I was about six, my dad took me along to a local training centre where I played with boys for a couple of years. Then the next step was going into a competitive grassroots team, but my dad decided that he didn't want me in that environment, he wanted me to keep developing and focus on that at that age.
"I tried out for a few clubs and I got into Chelsea and I've stayed there ever since and made my way through the ranks."
Away from Chelsea, Fox is a regular with the England U19s. The youth team played in their own international tournament this summer, although made a disappointing exit at the group stages. However, the success of the senior side still made for a memorable summer.
"The summer couldn't have gone much better really," Fox said. "Me, my family and friends, we really got into the Euros, went to most games and the atmosphere and buzz created by the fans was nothing like we've ever seen before.
"Hopefully that can carry on into the season and keep growing. What they did was such an inspiration and it's opened the gates for the next generation to go and achieve what they achieved and hopefully more.
"It's a privilege to play for my country and it always will be. We went to the U19 Euros this summer and that was a great experience, although it didn't go how we wanted.
"We had a really talented group of players who will go a long way in their careers. We were probably one of the favourites going in but it was our first major tournament and we were very inexperienced in that aspect.
"It's a great learning curve for us. We've been a team since the U15s so we're very well connected and I wouldn't have wanted to experience it with another team.
"But those experiences at youth level are so valuable and hopefully we can use them when we get to senior level and in more major competitions. It's a great experience and really helps our development so hopefully, we can keep that going."
This article was first published prior to the football postponements following the death of The Queen.
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