Maz Pacheco

She mad her WSL debut with Liverpool at just 16 years of age and also helped England to a third-place finish at the 2018 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup.

Pacheco graduated with a law degree from Sheffield University, driven by a desire to make her family proud and show young players that it’s possible to combine education and sports in England. She became a figurehead for West Ham United’s partnership with the University of East London as part of their innovative Players’ Project, inspiring others to follow in her footsteps.

Maz Pacheco's mother comes from the Philippines, and Pacheco proudly acknowledges her heritage, saying: “I’m very connected with my roots. I’m very proud to say, yes, I am half-Filipino.” If she achieves her dream of playing for England, she could become the first British-Asian to represent the country at the senior international level. “Obviously, it would just go to show that it doesn’t matter what race or religion you are. If you’re good enough, you can get there, so that’s the message I would want to relay.”

She founded M3 Football, a community that aims to empower girls through football. "Growing up there weren’t any girls only football ​camps or professional women’s players coaching in ​the grassroots game. I wanted to create something ​special and something different. Being the first ​professional women’s player in the UK to not only ​create girls only camps but to have my own ​grassroots club is something I take pride in with ​now other players following the movement", Pacheco says.

Her dream adventure is skydiving, particularly over scenic locations like Hawaii or Fiji.

To relax away from football, she likes to watch Netflix, go out for food, play her guitar or spend time with her family.

Her dream dinner guests would be Michael Jordan, Serena Williams, and Barack Obama.