Women’s Football Hub

In this episode, we’re joined by Dr. Sam McHaffie, performance nutritionist at Manchester City Women and recent PhD graduate from Liverpool John Moores University. We unpack the findings from his four-part PhD exploring nutrition and energy availability in elite female footballers—from carbohydrate fear and body image concerns to under-fuelling and RED-S risk in adolescent players. Sam shares practical insights for coaches, players...

🎙️ Podcast Title: "Inside the Referee Mindset: Psychology, Pressure & Performance with PGMOL’s Kayleigh Dougan & Sue Jones"

👥 Guests:

• Kayleigh Dougan – Performance Psychologist, PGMOL

• Dr. Sue Jones – Performance Psychologist, PGMOL

🎧 Episode Summary: In this episode, Dr. Ian Cookson sits down with Kayleigh Dougan and Dr. Sue Jones to explore the untold side of officiating. As performance psychologists for ...

🎙️ Podcast Title: "Spotlight on REDs: Female Football, Menstrual Health & Multidisciplinary Support with Velvet Klass"

👤 Guest: Velvet Klass – PhD Candidate at Flinders University, researching REDs and multidisciplinary support in elite women’s football.

🎧 Episode Summary: In this episode, host Carolyn Kent chats with researcher and former athlete Velvet Klass about Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDs)—a condition that...

🎧 Hosted by: Dr. Ian Cookson 🎤 Guest: Louis Ross (Sports Psychologist | Loughborough DICE Program | Formerly with Bristol City Women)

In this episode of the Women's Football Hub Podcast, Dr. Ian Cookson sits down with Louis Ross, a sports psychologist with experience working in academy football and elite women's footb...

Guests: Emily Shears & Dr. Jessica Beal-Stahl Host: Carolyn Kent

Episode Overview: Pharmacy might not be the first thing you think of in sport, but medications, supplements, and chronic disease management all play a crucial role in performance. In this episode, sports pharmacists Emily Shears and Dr. Jessica Beal-Stahl break down the importance of sports pharmacy in women’s fo...

🎙️ Host: Carolyn Kent 🎙️ Guest: Hannah Poulton, Director of HLP Therapy, Women's Health Specialist, and PhD Researcher on C-Section Scarring

In this episode of Women's Football Hub, host Carolyn Kent is joined by physiotherapist and women's health specialist Hannah Poulton to explore the realities of C-section recovery and the journey back to sport. Hannah, who h...

In this episode of The Women’s Football Hub, host Sarah Thorne sits down with the brilliant Michelle Lyons, physiotherapist, educator, and global women’s health advocate. Together, they dive into one of the most important—and often overlooked—aspects of female athlete wellbeing: pelvic health and hormonal changes across the lifespan.

From menstrual health and RED-s to perimenopause and injury prevention, Michelle shares evidence-ba...

🎙 Guest: Dr. Serena MacLeod (Chartered Sport and Exercise Psychologist) 🎙 Host: Dr. Ian Cookson

In this episode, Dr. Ian Cookson sits down with Dr. Serena MacLeod to discuss the psychological challenges athletes face when recovering from serious injuries. Drawing from her experience with Reading Women’s Football Club and other elite spor...

In this episode, Carolyn Kent welcomes a special co-host, Emily Howarth, an MSc Physiotherapy student, for her first podcast appearance! Together, they interview Erin Griffiths, a PhD researcher working with Manchester United on ACL injury risk factors in women's football. Erin shares her academic journey, her transition into res...

Episode: The History & Future of Women’s Football with Clare McEwen

🎙️ Host: Carolyn Kent 🎙️ Guest: Clare McEwen – Freelance Sports Writer, Author of She Can Kick It, and Health Researcher at Oxford University

In this episode, Carolyn Kent welcomes Clare McEwen, author of She Can Kick It, a book that delves into the rich and often overlooked history of women's footba...

🎙 Guest: Dr. Amanda Jagielo 🎤 Host: Carolyn Kent

In this episode of the Women’s Football Hub podcast, host Carolyn Kent sits down with Dr. Amanda Jagielo, a sports medicine expert and researcher specialising in sports footwear. Dr. Jagielo shares groundbreaking insights into how football boots (or soccer cleats) impact female athletes’ perform...

In this special episode of Women's Football Hub, host Carolyn Kent welcomes back Mark McGuigan, a mental health occupational therapist and founder of Willow Grove Consulting, after our launch of the Mental Health and Recovery Toolkit — a free resource designed for athletes at every level.

Together, they explore the why behind the project and the how behind using simple but effective tools to manage...

Episode Summary: In this short, reflective episode, Occupational Therapist Mark McGuigan offers a powerful mindset reset for players who are struggling after a poor performance.

Whether you’ve had a tough match, made a mistake, or are feeling overwhelmed by expectations, this tool helps you let go, learn, and move forward with self-compassion and control.

What You’ll Learn: ✅ How to separate who you are from how you performed ✅ A ...

Episode Summary: In this focused session, Occupational Therapist Mark McGuigan offers a grounding reflection to help players recognise and interrupt negative thoughts.

Whether it’s self-doubt, overthinking, or inner criticism, this tool guides you to pause, shift perspective, and take back control of your mindset.

What You’ll Learn: ✅ Why negative thoughts are normal — and what to do with them ✅ A simple reframing strategy to stop...

Episode Summary: Emotions are part of football — but sometimes they can feel overwhelming or out of control. In this episode, Occupational Therapist Mark McGuigan offers a calming and reflective tool to help you make space for difficult emotions without letting them take over.

Designed for players and coaches alike, this short session helps you understand and regulate emotional responses in high-pressure moments.

What You’ll Learn...

Episode Summary: Feeling tense? Need to switch off after a match or long day? This calming session, led by Occupational Therapist Mark McGuigan, guides you through a full-body Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR) to help release stress and support recovery.

It’s perfect for use before bed, during injury rehab, or any time your body feels tight and your mind won’t slow down.

What You’ll Learn: ✅ How to connect mind and body through ...

Episode Title: Strength Training Myths & Realities in Women's Football with Sarah Payne

🎙️ Episode Summary: In this episode of Women's Football Hub, host Carolyn Kent speaks with Sarah Payne, a strength and conditioning coach specialising in women's and girls' team sports. Sarah, founder of The Human First Method and a player for Stevenage FC, shares her journey back to the pitch after a lon...

🎙 Host: Carolyn Kent 🎙 Guest: Dr. Julia Treleaven, Associate Professor at the University of Queensland and Fellow of the Australian College of Physiotherapists

🔹 Episode Overview: In this episode of the Women's Football Hub podcast, host Carolyn Kent speaks with Dr. Julia Treleaven, a leading researcher in neck dysfunction, post-concussion rehabilitation, and sens...

📢 Episode Summary In this episode of the Women's Football Hub podcast, host Dr Ian Cookson speaks with Dr Tracy Donachie from Newcastle University about perfectionism and overthinking in football. As a former footballer and sport psychologist, Dr Donachie shares insights into how perfectionism affects players' mental well-being, performance, and resilience.

⚽ Key To...