Want to practice your Italian? Click here to read an Italian translation of this interview
Aqsa Mushtaq is a rising talent in the world of women’s football. At 22, she just signed her first professional contract with Napoli Femminile, becoming the first player of Pakistani heritage to play in the Italian top-flight. A left-footed winger, Aqsa was born and raised in Bradford, UK, from a Pakistani family. After making her way in the Bradford youth academy, she moved to Lenoir-Rhyne University in the United States and was voted South Atlantic Conference Player of the Year in 2019-2020.
Now, the move to Naples to continue living the dream.
Aqsa graciously agreed to have a chat with the Cult of Calcio about her move, as well as her story and aspirations as a footballer.
Cult of Calcio: Good afternoon Aqsa, we are really pleased to have you here. Can you tell us more about you? Who is Aqsa Mushtaq and have you ever visited Pakistan?
Aqsa: I’m 22 years old and I have been playing football for as long as I can remember. I visited Pakistan once but I was very young so I don’t remember much about it. I was born and raised in Bradford and really have not moved out of there until going to the U.S…and now Naples, of course.
Cult of Calcio: We know that you are a natural left-footed player, but we saw from some videos that you can also use your right one. So how would you describe your style of play? And who is your football idol?
Aqsa: In terms of men’s football, Steven Gerrard is my inspiration. It started because my brother and some family members supported Liverpool. But I found him to be a great leader on the pitch. He had amazing passing and shooting ability and he was a true captain. That’s what I wanted to be. I wanted to be a leader, somebody that my team could look up to.
Cult of Calcio: And your style of play?
Aqsa: I feel like it’s quite technical. I like having the ball on my feet and work my way with it until I can make some crucial pass that can help the team. So I feel like having quick feet and be a technical player is the biggest part of my game.
Cult of Calcio: So you’re saying that you want to contribute with your skills but are also open towards supporting other players?
Aqsa: Yes, of course. And I feel that, especially in Italy, I had to adapt to new things too, because players are physically stronger here. So I had to take a step back on the things I believe I’m best at, and rather look at what’s going to make me grow as a player, polishing up my weak spots. But it’s all about what the team wants me to do. As long as the team is doing well and I’m giving my contribution, that’s all that matters.
Cult of Calcio: Let’s go back in time a little. Five years ago, you took a very important decision to leave Bradford and go play in the U.S. for Lenoir-Rhyne University. How did you come to this decision?
Aqsa: It took me a long time to decide because I had a few offers from different schools. But when I talked to the coach at Lenoir-Rhyne, I realized that the way he wanted his team to play and how he saw me in it was what I wanted. Plus, the school is in Hickory which is a small city and that’s what I wanted as well. In a small school, everybody knows everybody and you get many people supporting you.
Cult of Calcio: It must not have been an easy decision anyway…
Aqsa: It wasn’t, and I kept thinking about it on a daily basis. I didn’t know whether it was going to be the right decision and I was not like “Oh, I’m so happy I’m going to America.” I had very mixed feelings. But once I made up my mind, I was happy with it. I just couldn’t wait to get out there and start playing football daily as a professional.
Cult of Calcio: From Hickory and Lenoir-Rhyne to Naples and Napoli Femminile to keep living the dream…That’s quite another jump! What can you tell us about this new change?
Aqsa: The biggest change is obviously the language barrier. I had never been in a country where English is not the main language for more than two weeks. So living here and trying to understand everything that’s going on in a training and just around me is hard. But I feel like I’m adapting to it now because we started to get Italian lessons from the club.
Cult of Calcio: And what about the playing style?
Aqsa: I feel like football is a lot faster here because they mostly like to play one touch, two touch. And I’m not used to that because, like I said, I love having the ball at my feet and dribbling. So I had to take a step back and think “I need to get better at this” and learn to play faster than I’m used to. But after the first month, I think I’m getting used to that and I see myself improving.
Cult of Calcio: Did you notice any other difference between playing football in the UK, the U.S., and then Italy? And what’s your general impression of the Serie A Femminile so far?
Aqsa: I think the Serie A is fantastic league. No matter where you are on the table there is always going to be competition. Differently than in the U.S., I feel than in Italy there is much more focus on strength and playing quick out than on speed and fitness. In England it’s quite similar but players still love dribbling and using their feet whereas in Italy it’s more about passing and moving. So there’s a lot of different aspects to the game in each country, which I think is amazing because you don’t normally work on such things so much.
Cult of Calcio: How did that affect your game?
Aqsa: Well, when you move to three different places you have to work on all these aspects and that makes you a much better player because you have to work on being an overall-rounded player rather than just having one good thing about you.
Cult of Calcio: Did you find any league more competitive than the other?
Aqsa: All the leagues I’ve played in were good but the Serie A is just a step up because it’s a professional league. In England I was playing open age from when I was 10 to 16, meaning that I played with girls of all age. It was a scary experience because all the girls were a lot more experienced than me. They were better because, obviously, they just had had more time to develop football. So I think playing in the U.S. kind of helped me because I was with people of my age. I could get more minutes on the pitch, score more goals and serve more assists. That helped me get ready to play professionally.
Cult of Calcio: Now that you are in Italy, what were your initial expectations about your new host country? How can you describe your Italian adventure so far?
Aqsa: Well, I didn’t know what to expect and I was just so excited to start. But I was also very nervous, thinking that maybe I wouldn’t fit into the team or do well. That wasn’t the case in the end because I believe I do fit well but being in Italy is helping me become a more independent person. In the U.S., I used to live with my best friend. Here, I have to do a lot of things on my own while keeping my mind still focused on football and the team.
Cult of Calcio: Speaking of the team, how have you seen Napoli play so far? They have not had a great start in Serie A Femminile and you have still not played. How will you find the motivation to get out of such a negative period as a team?
Aqsa: I think the most important thing is to stay focused. If you watch our games, you can see that we have such great individual players in the roster and overall, we make a really good team. We just need to spend more time playing together: Look around us, play for each other. We shouldn’t let ourselves go because we lost a few games. Belief is a big thing and, once we click, we’ll surely get something.
Cult of Calcio: …And what part can you play in that?
Aqsa: I think I also need to stay confident, in focus, and continue to prepare myself for when my moment comes. Hopefully, I’ll be able to contribute with some goals and positive things for the team.
Cult of Calcio: So when will we be able to see your talent on the pitch and what are your expectations for your future at Napoli?
Aqsa: I obviously hope to be here for a while. At the moment, I’m taking every week as it comes, trying to do well and focus on what my coach wants me to work on. Hopefully, I’ll be able to prove that I can be a big asset to the team and, once he gives me a chance, I’ll do my best to prove that I deserve a spot. But it’s all on me, really. I need to get better myself and do well in training because there’s a lot of competition. These girls in the team are great.
Cult of Calcio: Your move to Napoli is inspiring many other female footballers, especially in Asia and in Pakistan, to believe in themselves and their opportunities. What is your advice to them?
Aqsa: My biggest advice is just don’t give up, even if you get some criticism coming your way – because we all get criticisms, we all get people who don’t want us to do what we like. But as long as you have the support behind you, just carry on doing it, even if it gets a bit low sometimes.
Cult of Calcio: So it’s about believing in yourself and keep going?
Aqsa: Yes, but to dream big you also have to put in the work. Many people want a lot of things but they’re not willing to work for them. I think the advice is just keep working and working for things to get better, so that when you get the chance to show what you’re made of, you will be ready.
Cult of Calcio: Except for the transfer of players like Zesh Rehman, Ghiyas Zahid, Otis Rehman, and women football legend Hajra Khan, your move to Napoli has been one of the most important moments in Pakistani football. How do you feel about that?
Aqsa: It’s a good feeling as I always wanted to be a role model for people. I hope that my story can be an inspiration for people in Pakistan who want to play football but maybe don’t do it because it’s not seen as something that can take you somewhere. As long as you have the support of your family and do what’s needed to achieve it, you can reach anything you set your mind to.
Cult of Calcio: Now, back in time again. In 2019, you won the South Atlantic Conference Player of the Year Award. Can you tell us what it takes to earn such a great award?
Aqsa: A lot of hard work, I’m not going to lie! When I first went to the U.S., I was like “Oh, this is going to be ok, I’ll probably get an award at the end of the year.” But after my freshman year, I got no awards and only scored two goals. So I thought I needed to get my mind right. During my second year I was improving, but I still wasn’t getting any recognition. So I was like, “something needs to be done.”
Cult of Calcio: So what did you do?
Aqsa: I just worked every single day. I worked on my own. I’d skip going out with my friends and keep practicing those little things that people don’t see as important. I would work on my passing skills and then move to shooting just to make sure that when I got to a game I would score nine times out of ten because I’ve practiced that so many times, you know?
Cult of Calcio: It all comes down to hard work…
Aqsa: So I think it just took a lot of practice, but it was also due to my coach. He pushed me to my end like I never even thought it was possible. Some days I was like, “why is he so hard on me?” but now I understand he was so hard because he realized what I could achieve if gave 100% or even 110% of me. If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t have gone as far as I did.
Cut of Calcio: But you also had other people believing in you, right?
Aqsa: Yes, my whole team was always behind me, pushing me to do better. There was some good competition during training sessions that would get me ready for the games as well.
Cult of Calcio: Let’s talk about women and football. You are a big thing for female players coming from Asia and especially from Pakistan. What is your take on women’s role in modern football?
Aqsa: In Pakistan, I feel that it’s just not seen as the norm for women to play football. It’s more like they should stay at home. But I feel this is starting to change as people realize that this is not how it should be – men can do what they want and women can’t. Hopefully, within the coming years it can be seen as normal in Pakistan to do what I do and more women can play for the national football team and do well for the country.
Cult of Calcio: And what about you? Is there any chance you could play for Pakistan’s women’s national football team? Or would you wait for a call from the UK?
Aqsa: Any national team would be amazing to play for because a national team is always a big deal. I would just be so astonished that they want me that I would always have to think about it. My primary focus would be on England, but never say never.
Cult of Calcio: Well, regardless of whether it’s for the UK or Pakistan, we wish you to get that call one day. Do you have any final message you want to send to your fans in Italy?
Aqsa: I just want to say thank you for your support and for trusting in my ability, like following my progress through being here in Italy. I just hope I’ll hold you well and that I can perform and do well for Napoli Femminile!
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