Steph Houghton said it was even more frustrating that Manchester City would lose a match after her retirement.
Houghton, who is a former England captain, played for City for 10 years before hanging up her boots end of last season after a 22-year career in which she won 20 trophies.
The 36-year-old, who is now a pundit, spoke before she was inducted into the committee Women’s Super League Hall of Fame alongside Alex Scott, Gilly Flaherty and Rebecca Welch.
Steph Houghton: “Ian Wright and I have a good working relationship”
Asked by FourFourTwo How she feels about being on the sidelines this season, she said: “Honestly, it’s very different. People always ask, “How do you feel about retiring?” I’m glad I made this decision. I am happy and enjoy what I am doing now.
“I can watch the games and try not to be too biased, of course when Man City play it’s hard not to be biased because it’s my club and I love it when they win, but it frustrates me even more when we lose.
“I think you will always have these loyal bonds. I’m happy to be in the privileged position of being on both sides. I am aware that I have to continue to do everything to make the game better.”
As well as a gaming expert, Houghton co-hosts the Crossways podcast with Arsenal legend Ian Wright. They discuss women’s football and highlight issues that need to be addressed in the game.
Houghton added: “I think in my case you have to be careful and justify what you say. I have a lot of friends who still play, I’m involved with various clubs, but I think the podcast is about highlighting the problems but also the strengths of what we have.
“I think it’s important that we keep the balance and I think me and Ian have formed a good partnership because we can keep the balance as much as possible. I think we have to be honest, we want things to be better, we want things to move on. First of all, we need to talk, we can’t go behind everyone’s back, we need to have an open conversation.
Women’s football has come a long way since Houghton’s days FourFourTwo view is one of the most recognizable women’s football players in the country. She started her career in 2002. It regularly has national coverage and professional standards are applied throughout the game.
However, according to Houghton, there is still much work to be done. “Sometimes it frustrates me a little bit, I won’t lie,” she said.
“I don’t want us to stagnate, I don’t want us to be in the ‘oh everything’s fine’ zone, we need to stay moving. Sometimes it’s good to be in the game and now go out and give that information back.”
