TV pundit and former professional footballer Natasha Dowie will be the guest speaker at the Merseyside Women of the Year (MWOTY) awards 2026 later this month, with the event now almost sold out.
She will be interviewed about her life and career at the annual celebration of inspirational Merseyside women by CEO of the Community Foundation for Merseyside, Rae Brooke.
Natasha’s legendary career saw her represent the England women’s national football team at the youth level before making her senior international debut in 2009 and playing for London teams Watford, Fulham and Charlton Athletic.
She spent five years with Everton before transferring to FA WSL clubs Liverpool Ladies in November 2012 and Doncaster Rovers Belles in 2016. She also played in the Australian W-League, the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) as well as Linköpings FC in Sweden, Oslo’s Vålerenga, Milan and Reading FC, before returning to Liverpool in 2023.
Dowie announced her retirement from football on 21 September 2023, leaving as Liverpool FC women’s all-time top goal scorer – a record she still retains. She became the first official women’s ambassador for Liverpool FC, through which she works closely with the girls’ ProGame Academy, boys’ Academy and the LFC Foundation girls’ programmes among other roles, and she became the first female to play in the Liverpool Legends games.
Today Natasha is a TV pundit, A- licence football coach working with the FA on Striker-specific work and her extensive engagement work includes Resilience and Identity talks to academies throughout the Women’s football leagues and she is an Ambassador for the Owen McVeigh Foundation.
Ellie Kerr, MWOTY founding director, said: “We are so thrilled to welcome Natasha to the MWOTY stage on Friday 26th June to talk about her achievements throughout her exceptional career, the challenges and how she navigated that as a sportsperson and as a woman.
“Since retiring she has used her knowledge and experience to help raise the next generation of young football stars, to inspire confidence, ambition and resilience amongst young women and make them believe that they can achieve their dreams.
“Creating legacy is at the heart of everything that MWOTY does, learning and growing together and building a better future for the women of our city region. The work Natasha does aligns perfectly with our values and we can’t wait for us to join us!”
Natasha said: I can’t wait to talk at the MWOTY awards and I know a few of the finalists which makes it extra special. Since retiring three years ago from playing football, I have had more mentors and role models than I did during my playing career.
“I take immense pride in the way I live my life and the opportunities I have been given. My aim is to continue to be a role model, keep trying to open doors for others and inspire as many people as I can along the way.”
For more information, visit: https://merseysidewomenoftheyear.co.uk/