While Ffion Morgan did not always understand why footballers would put their lives on social media, she is now one of the most-loved and recognised online personalities in women's football.
The Wales international has built her own platform, giving fans an insight into life as a professional footballer.
And for Morgan, it is about more than simply creating content - she hopes building her profile can help create more opportunities for herself and other female players who might not always have the spotlight.
Ffion Morgan: ‘I had to make my own luck’
For Morgan, building a profile away from the pitch has been about taking control of opportunities rather than waiting for them to arrive.
That realisation led her to social media, where the 26-year-old has built an audience by showing the reality of life as a professional footballer.
Speaking exclusively to FourFourTwo, she said: “For me, I don't necessarily have the opportunities that others do.
"Where I sit as a Welsh player, and not necessarily at one of the top clubs. So I had to make my own luck.
“Branding is a huge part of that. To grow my brand on social media, which inspires a generation and shows people what it's really like as a footballer. There's not many negatives in what I'm doing, which is fantastic.”
It was not something she immediately embraced. In fact, when her sister first suggested Morgan start putting herself out there online, she was far from convinced: "My sister encouraged me to do videos and at the time I was like, no, nobody does it, that's weird, I don't want to do it.
“But she said I could be one of the first and pave the way for more people to create opportunities for themselves. So I went for it. I put myself out there, and if people know my name, even if it's from social media, it might get them at a game, and then it'll get them supporting West Ham, and then it'll go on from there.”
‘It’s more than just football’
Morgan's content offers an unfiltered look at professional football, from matchdays and recovery to food, training and the reality of life away from the pitch.
“I just like showing all the game days, what our schedule's like, what recovery's like. So if you're a young footballer watching it, they're going to love that.
“I also want to use my content to show my lifestyle and what's important to me, which is family, friendship and relationships, because in football it can be quite lonely, so showing that is important as well.”
That openness has already had an impact, with Morgan regularly receiving messages from people who have been inspired by her content, especially young players.
“I get messages all the time,” she added. “Saying things like ‘I didn't want to play football anymore, but you've got me back into it.'
“I've met so many people through them liking my vlogs. I know that's so silly, but they've got group chats and they've met friends, which is just lovely. And that's what football is. It's a community and it's more than just football, especially in the women's game, it's fantastic.”
‘You’re hungry for more’
Morgan’s next big opportunity could come with Wales, who are targeting qualification for the 2027 Women's World Cup after making history by reaching Euro 2025.
“After the Euros and our success in qualifying for that, we've always wanted more as players and wanted to show ourselves on the big stage.
“Now that we've done it once, you're hungry for more, which is a good thing, but also a bad thing.
“We're all so excited to get going and the playoffs are coming up quite soon. Hopefully everyone stays fit and healthy and then hopefully we'll smash that and Brazil would be fantastic.
“I think my parents would love me if we qualified because they definitely want a Brazil trip!”
