I’ve been lucky that the women’s game has evolved quite significantly in the last number of years and I feel a real level of respect from most of the football managers I deal with now. They actually recognise my career and my achievements and they understand my questioning.
If anything, people underestimate the power, confidence and knowledge within women’s football and I think, over the last number of years, people have probably grasped that a bit better.
When I was growing up, there were females on TV who were the faces of certain shows, but there wasn’t a fair representation of, for example, a female footballer. Now there are people I can relate to, like Alex Scott and Sue Smith, and I think the increasing diversity of voices has improved the all-round coverage of football.
Because we’ve not come from a full-time professional career and that isn’t everything we’ve ever done, we can introduce a different perspective. I’ve studied a separate degree in health and social care, have my own personal training company and charitable foundation on top of all my football commitments.
It is a frustration when people think you don’t have a valid opinion on men’s football because you are a woman – but, for me, football is football.
At the end of the day, what defines me as a person is not social media. The only feedback that matters is whether or not it has been a good show.
There are still moments where I almost pinch myself at the opportunities with which I’ve been presented. I genuinely feel blessed to be working in a job I love – talking about football.
Leanne Crichton was speaking to BBC Sport Scotland’s Clive Lindsay.
