It has always been football for Kit Graham.
The 28-year-old, who joined from Charlton Athletic in August, 2019, is in her fifth season in Lilywhite, making 84 appearances for the Club so far, and, back in February, she put pen to paper on a contract to commit her future until 2025.
Being part of our first-ever squad to compete in the Barclays Women’s Super League, Kit has been every step of the way with us in England’s top division and been part of the progression of the Club.
But where did it all start for our number 16?
As we took our seat outside on the bench at Hotspur Way on a warm Spring day, Kit opened up on when she first found a football at her feet and whether she has always found herself as a forward-thinking player.
“Playing football is all I can remember and, apparently, from the minute I could walk I was kicking a football,” Kit explained. “I just remembered my life being football, football, football and I loved it.”
“My dad used to play like Sunday league level, nothing too serious, but I would use to go down to the park with him on most weekends or any minute I had free, while one of my oldest sisters would come down with us sometimes and we would stick her in goal, so it would just be us three down the park just playing football whenever we could.”
“My first real memory in football is joining an all-boys team which, at the time, was just me and one other girl, but I remember scoring my first goal for them and that is one of the earliest memories I have, I was probably around five or six at the time.
“Even from a young age, I have always enjoyed being on the ball, dribbling and scoring the goals, I love that feeling of celebrating and trying to win a game for your team. So, I would say, I have always been a forward-thinking player.”
Following a 14-year stint at Charlton Athletic, where she scored over 200 goals, including 16 in 19 appearances in her maiden campaign in the FA Women’s Championship during the 2018/19 season, Kit, as she described, ‘took the leap of faith’ to make the move to Hotspur Way.
Although the 28-year-old is playing the sport she loves, week in, week out now, it was much more of a dream than a reality when she was growing up.
“It wasn’t even an option to think about becoming a professional footballer when I was younger but, obviously, I signed here [Spurs] when I was 23 and thought ‘come on, this is my last chance and if I’m going to do it, then it’s now’," she added.
“At the time, I left a really good paying job to take the leap of faith and I’m glad I did because it has changed my way of life, so I have no regrets doing that at all and I’m glad I took the risk.
“But, growing up, no one was professional in the Women’s game. I had people to look up to, for example, I came through all the ranks at Charlton and idolised players at the club, but none of them were professional footballers. It was never a thought in my mind that I could become professional.”
Kit in her Charlton kit from her junior football days...
Kit in her Charlton kit from her junior football days...
Kit taking in the surroundings at Hotspur Way...
Kit taking in the surroundings at Hotspur Way...
Kit Graham taking a seat at the training ground....
Kit Graham taking a seat at the training ground....
Upon joining the Addicks at the age of eight, the 28-year-old had to balance playing football alongside education, relying on dedication from her parents, but when she turned senior at the East London club, it was all about managing her time with a working job.
“When I joined Charlton, it took a lot of dedication from my parents because I was around 45 minutes to an hour away from Charlton,” our number 16 added. “So, I had to rely a lot on them. I would finish school, go home and quickly eat, before getting back in the car to travel to the training ground. I loved my time there and they were like my second family.
“We were playing at tier three level and I was working alongside that. Well, to begin with, I was going to school and then went to sixth form, before going into full-time work while training on the side of that, usually in the evening.
“It was difficult to balance that, I would literally come straight home from work to my mum’s and have something to eat, have a quick nap before going straight to training where sometimes we wouldn’t finish until 11pm or 12am and then be up early again for work in the morning. I don’t know how I survived it to be honest, it was quite hard, but now I have signed and gone fully professional, the lifestyle change is so different.”
Kit in action at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium against Arsenal in November, 2019.
Kit in action at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium against Arsenal in November, 2019.
Ever wondered on why Kit wears the number 16 shirt? Well, she explains below…
“When I turned 16, they [Charlton] saved me the number 16 shirt and that’s the reason why I still wear it today. They gave me the number 16 shirt for the first team on my 16th birthday and I’m a bit superstitious, I don’t want to change my number as that’s all I have ever worn since I have been in senior football," Kit explained.
Being one of the longest serving players at the Club and closing in on the 100th appearance mark in Lilywhite – just 17 games away – Kit has certainly seen the progression of the Women’s game, not only at the Club but across the country.
Rounding off the interview, she said: “The development of the game has been massive. Like I said previously, it wasn’t even a thought of becoming professional when I was younger and, now, you have seen the changes that have been implemented and I feel like teams have really pushed the Women’s side.
“But, even at Spurs, we have gone from The Hive to having our own building at the training centre, our own pitch and our own little community that we can experience everyday – it’s really good to be a part of it.”
Kit Graham...
Kit Graham...
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