Leading From The Back cover art

Leading From The Back

The autobiography of former Lionesses & Man City captain and women's sports champion, footballer Steph Houghton

 Preview
Get this deal Try Premium Plus free
Offer ends 29 January 2026 at 11:59PM GMT.
Prime members: New to Audible? Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Just £0.99/mo for your first 3 months of Audible.
1 bestseller or new release per month—yours to keep.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, podcasts, and Originals.
Auto-renews at £8.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically.

Leading From The Back

By: Steph Houghton
Narrated by: Steph Houghton
Get this deal Try Premium Plus free

£8.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly. Offer ends 29 January 2026 at 11:59PM GMT.

£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £12.99

Buy Now for £12.99

LIMITED TIME OFFER | £0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Premium Plus auto-renews at £8.99/mo after 3 months. Terms apply.

About this listen

 SHORTLISTED FOR *AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF THE YEAR* AT THE CHARLES TYRWHITT SPORTS BOOK AWARDS

*One of Waterstones' Best Sport Books of the Year 2024*

'Steph is truly one of the all-time greats of the women's game' Jill Scott

'Documents [Steph's] crucial role in helping to change perceptions of women's football' The Guardian

The inspiring memoir of one of football's greatest players - Steph Houghton - in which she recounts the highs and lows of making it to the top of her game as England Captain, star of the London Olympics, and Man City stalwart, via Sunderland, Leeds and Arsenal.

With 121 caps for the Lionesses, Steph has been at the heart of the women's football revolution, inspiring girls and young women around the world but in her own understated way.

Leading from the Back is Steph's incredibly honest account of what it takes to make it to the pinnacle of women's football when the odds are well and truly stacked against you.

Inside, she shares her dreams of becoming professional as a young girl in Sunderland and how reaching that status has been a long and often difficult path, both on and off the pitch, especially her husband Steph Darby's devastating Motor Neurone Disease (MND) diagnosis. In between, she recounts the amazing highs of playing for her country, making history at the Olympics, lifting cups for her team, and the awe-inspiring people she has encountered along the way.

This is not only Steph's personal story, but also the story of women's football in England and internationally. Steph is credited as being one of the greatest influences in growing the women's game to the biggest it has ever been.

A remarkable journey of unwavering determination that reveals the grit needed to stay true to yourself, and what it really takes to be a leader; this is the full and incredible story of a sports pioneer, 'Super Steph'.©2024 Steph Houghton Football (American) Sports Women England Game

Listeners also enjoyed...

 What It Takes: My Playbook on Life and Leadership cover art
How (Not) To Be Strong cover art
Lioness - My Journey to Glory cover art
Unique: A Memoir cover art
Unbroken cover art
So Gay for You cover art
Process cover art
MACCA cover art
How to Be a Football Manager cover art
The Game Changer cover art
One Life cover art
Three Lionesses cover art
My Account cover art
Personal Best cover art
Straight Up cover art
Let the Light In cover art
All stars
Most relevant
good insight into womans game and where they have come from, great player and leader but bobbins narrator lol

good

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
What a legend and what an inspiration to all young footballers out there never be afraid to follow your dreams

Local legend

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Enjoyed listening to the accent the content of the early days for Steph was so typical of my younger years.

Good background

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
One in a long list of amazing England Female Football Captain's tells her story with humility, honesty and passion. It's great as a long term fan to hear the inside story. Well worth listening to if you love football.

Honest, moving and very inspiring!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Steph Houghton’s book is an inspiring account of determination, resilience, and leadership. Through her candid storytelling, Houghton takes readers behind the scenes of her journey, from her challenges with injuries to captaining her country on the world stage. Her grit and bravery shine through every chapter, offering a powerful reminder of what it takes to succeed at the highest level. Beyond football, her compassion and dedication to her husband, family, teammates and fans make this book deeply relatable and moving.

Resilient and relatable

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews