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Kim Little is a living legend at Arsenal and, great news for supporters, they will continue to enjoy watching their club captain play for a little while longer. Last week, amid speculation that she could soon leave the club, Little signed a one-year contract extension at Arsenal. This will keep her in North London up until almost her 37th birthday.
Recently speaking to The Players' Tribune, Little had this to say when asked about retirement:
"When I think about my closest friends now, so many of them come from football... It becomes part of the fabric of your life. I think that’s why, when I do stop playing, whenever that is, I know I’ll be fine. Not because I won’t miss it, or I’ve planned it all perfectly — although I’m sure I’ll try."
For now, Little remains a key player for Arsenal, having made her 400th appearance for the Gunners during last month's 4-0 Champions League victory over Oud-Heverlee Leuven at Den Dreef. She is just the third women to ever surpass that total for the club, after Ciara Grant and Emma Byrne, who hold the record with 459, which might just be in Little sights.
This season, Renée Slegers' side could still have as many as 12 games remaining, with captain Little very much among the first names on the team sheet.
Arsenal's potential fixture list
- Wednesday 1 April. Chelsea - Stamford Bridge. Champions League quarter-final 2nd leg.
- Sunday 5 April. Brighton - Meadow Park. FA Cup quarter-final.
- 25/26 April. Potential Champions League semi-final 1st leg vs Lyon or Wolfsburg (H).
- *Sunday 26 April. Aston Villa - Villa Park. WSL.
- Wednesday 29 April. Leicester City - Emirates Stadium. WSL.
- 2/3 May. Potential Champions League semi-final 2nd leg vs Lyon or Wolfsburg (A).
- *Sunday 3 May. Everton - Emirates Stadium. WSL.
- Wednesday 6 May. Brighton - Broadfield Stadium. WSL.
- 9/10 May. Potential FA Cup semi-final.
- Saturday 16 May. Liverpool - Anfield. WSL.
- Saturday 23 May. Potential Champions League Final - Ullevål, Oslo.
- Sunday 31 May. Potential FA Cup Final - Wembley.
Note: *indicates fixture is subject to postponement due to UEFA competition commitments.
If Arsenal do make progress in both the Champions League and FA Cup this week, they would face a jam-packed schedule throughout April and May. Slegers' team could play ten matches in just 36 days after the international break, set to meet either Olympique Lyonnais Féminin or Wolfsburg Frauen in the Champions League semi-finals, if they finish the job at Stamford Bridge on April Fool's Day.
Meantime, assuming they take care of Brighton in Borehamwood on Easter Sunday, a star-studded FA Cup semi-final lineup is likely to be on the cards, with Chelsea as well as run-away WSL leaders Manchester City also expected to progress.
Little's time at Arsenal has been defined by collecting trophies, picking up 17 to date. This includes the Champions League at Estádio José Alvalade in Lisbon last May, followed by the inaugural FIFA Women's Champions Cup title on home turf in February. Well, if there is to be a successful conclusion to this campaign, Little will be at the heart of it.