'I felt embarrassed' - How female footballers inspired by the Lionesses still face an uphill battle

• Ahead of the Women's World Cup, Ann Yip explores the barriers that still exist for women despite the Lionesses' Euros success

The seemingly simple act of kicking a football can be an uphill battle for many women.

The Lionesses' Euros success in 2022 inspired thousands across the country to give it a go.

But, feeling judged, lack of confidence, battling sexism and lack of recreational opportunities are some of the barriers that still exist today, female footballers have told ITV News Anglia.

Alice Walker began playing last year, but said she initially felt "embarrassed" to tell her friends.

The 24-year-old from Norwich said: "There's not as many females that play football, or at least that I knew. It was very male-dominated in my friendship group, so I felt a bit more awkward about it to start with.

"I just saw a lot of boys growing up or a lot of men playing football.

"I think one of the worries was that it was seen as a lot lesser than the male game, so people view it as a lower standard. I didn't want to be judged in that way."

Troubling judgments about female sports still exist, according to findings by insurance company insure4sport. And this can deter many women.

Two in three girls said they felt judged and did not have the confidence, according to Women in Sport.

As confident as she looks, Ms Walker's teammate Mia McGhee admits she too struggled at first.

The 22-year-old teaching assistant said: "You don't look at women and think, 'you play football'.

"A lot of barriers that I faced were my own mental barriers thinking I might not be good enough, they might think that I'm rubbish, and what am I doing here?"

She continued: "My teammates [from Dussindale & Hellesdon Rovers FC Belle] are a big help for that. They weren't judgmental, they were really friendly.

"They were really encouraging if I didn't do something. When I did something great, they encouraged me more to do it.

"I'm still not quite there, but I'm definitely a lot more confident than I was."

Another issue is the lack of recreational opportunities for women.

Norfolk Football Association said it had seen an influx of new players - with more than 100 women starting in the coming season.

The women's development officer Anna Larkins said her inbox had been "full every single week" with newcomers.

She then realised there needed to be more on offer.

"We noticed a gap where we weren't offering something more recreational for those that just want to turn up and play without any sort of formalities or any sort of commitment to it," she said.

"Traditionally we've seen a lot of women potentially stop playing football due to work commitments, due to family commitments."

The campaign group Women in Football says one of the biggest challenges is finding pitches as the game tries to make more space for women.

Chief executive Yvonne Harrison said: "When you look at the rapid growth of the game - take those 2.3 million new women that are playing football - we've just not built loads more facilities."

History has also "held the game back immensely" for women, Ms Harrison said.

Women were banned from playing on Football League grounds for 50 years until 1971.

The FA, at the time, said football was "quite unsuitable for females and ought not to be encouraged".

Ms Harrison said: "When you look at the growth of men's football, and it's the biggest sport in the world, and women are not there.

"Now, when you look back to pre-ban Dick Kerr's Ladies had over 50,000 people watching their match.

"So imagine where we would be. Would there be a difference between men's and women's football? Could women's football be more popular?

"Who knows? But the point is there was a ban and it has significantly held women back from playing the game."

As England cheer on the Lionesses in the World Cup, it is clear that the game has come a long way from a history of exclusion -  but, campaigners say, there is further to go.

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