Vivienne Lia: Saints' young Gunner talks life on loan

The 18-year-old winger is Arsenal through and through, having progressed through their academy to sign her first professional contract with the three-time Women's Super League champions.

However, in January she swapped the Emirates and Meadow Park for St Mary's and Staplewood to embark on her first senior loan move, with Saints the preferred location for one of the Gunners' highly rated youngsters.

In her first interview after arriving at the club, a level of maturity beyond her years was clear to see as she spoke with an assured confidence about the opportunity in front of her.

"This has been a league I've been looking at to help my development a lot." she insisted, "I think it's a really challenging league, so it's exciting to come into that and compete against great players as well.

Since then, Lia has embedded herself into life as a Saint, looking towards at the second half of the season that lies ahead.

After being made to wait a week for her first taste of life in the second tier, Viv, as she's affectionately known to teammates and supporters alike, was thrown into the action for her debut away to Durham at the end of January.

"Durham away was straight in at the deep end!" she admitted, "but yeah, it’s what I expected to be honest - It’s quite physical, but you have to be bullish and get stuck in with it."

"I think it was nice to get on the pitch with the girls after a long training week and the week before.

"I enjoyed getting some minutes and just building connections to learn how to play with the girls, and learning a different style of play as well in the sense of being more direct and withstanding that physical side of the game."

Despite a result not materialising in the North East, Viv didn't feel out of place on her maiden Championship appearance, citing the importance of a close-knit squad to help turn the form on the pitch,.

"I think all the girls are wonderful to work with - it’s a great environment to come into, a very welcoming environment, so that’s made it easy to fit right in." she said. "Everyone’s working hard to build connections and make things right, but it’s been exciting to be around it.

"I think we’re building good connections and that’s a step in the right direction, I think every day is growth and getting to know each other better. I can definitely say that we’re getting there, it’s an everyday process but it’s looking good."

A debut in Durham was Viv's first taste of Championship action. (Photo: George Wood/Getty Images)

This is not her first experience of a senior squad environment though; back at Arsenal, Lia made her senior debut in February 2024 and was involved in her parent club's summer tour to the USA.

"You pick up stuff like every day when you’re around those players. The standards are so high, the professionalism that all the players carry themselves with - you’re bound to learn from them.

"You just want to be like a sponge and just pick up the everyday habits that they have, but also push yourself against them and see where you rank between them.

"You’re in a senior environment now - it’s not Academy football anymore so you can’t get away with as much, but we do try and still have banter with the girls!"

The best talking is done on the pitch, however, and Viv has impressed in her early opportunities around the senior side at Arsenal, including a cameo at St Mary's during pre-season.

As Saints supporters saw briefly back in August, and are beginning to see more after some bright spells against Newcastle in her most recent outing, the tricky winger prides herself on an exciting style of play.

"I’d say I’m quite direct and creative, I like to get onto the ball, try make things happen and link up with my teammates. I also want to score and make things happen, but ultimately I want to help the team as much as possible."

With Lia being one of four England youth internationals signed by Saints this January, there is now more youthful exuberance added to an already exciting squad on the south coast, giving plenty of hope for things to come.

Viv and some of her fellow Young Lionesses settling in at Saints. (Photo: Chris Moorhouse)

"Of course, being with lots of England players we all know of each other, so that makes it easy to play together and to gel with each other.

"It also shows how strong this team actually really is, there’s a lot of talent in the team. Once again, it’s just about building those connections and that chemistry, but that will come.

"Of course, this second half of the season we haven’t had the start that we wanted, but it’s progress and we’re progressing both on the training ground."