Meado: The End of an Era

Sophie Hurst
May 11
4 min read

An Arsenal teamsheet without ‘Mead’ on it is going to take some serious getting used to.

After nine years in red and white, Arsenal have confirmed that Beth Mead will leave the club this summer upon the expiry of her contract. The end of a season always brings emotion, but this departure feels particularly tear jerking. An Arsenal legend is departing, and so, a dose of nostalgia is in order.

From the North East to North London

Born and raised in the north east of England, Mead’s football journey started young. Playing from the age of six, she joined Middlesbrough’s Centre of Excellence - what would now be known as an academy setup - and quickly established herself as one to watch. A notable story is that, as a teenager, she scored a hat-trick against Sunderland; the club that would soon become her next and the place where her senior career truly took shape.

The club had already developed talents such as Jordan Nobbs, Lucy Bronze and Lucy Staniforth, and Mead immediately added herself to that repertoire. Twenty-three goals in twenty-three games during her first season said everything about who Beth was, and what she was about to become.

Finding Her Home at Arsenal

By January 2017, Arsenal finally secured the signing they had been pushing for since 2015. Though the move south was not instantly easy, with Mead speaking openly in her book about the homesickness she experienced after leaving the north east at 21. Moving across the country, away from family and familiarity, mirrored struggles she had already experienced during England youth camps.

The people around her became central to settling into life in London. Early on, she was flatmates with Jordan Nobbs alongside Jemma Rose and Katie McCabe, friendships that would become deeply intertwined into her Arsenal journey.

The arrival of Vivianne Miedema later that same year transformed Arsenal’s attack and marked the beginning of the ‘Meado on the wing’ era. A position of which, under Joe Montemurro, Mead evolved into one of the league’s most creative and intelligent attacking players. In the 2018-19 campaign, Arsenal’s most recent WSL title-winning season, Mead broke the WSL assists record and became central to the fluid, attacking football Arsenal were building.

Beth Mead supremacy, in 2022, felt impossible to escape if you were watching women’s football. Mead’s domestic numbers were exceeding her own numbers, becoming the WSL’s all-time assists leader and breaking records for chances created, redefining what creativity in the league looked like.

On top of an excellent club season, Beth topped it with an even more impressive international campaign; the UEFA Women’s Euro 2022.

England’s Euros victory changed the landscape of women’s football in the country forever, and Mead stood central to it all. By the end of the summer, she had won the Golden Boot, finished as Player of the Tournament, topped the assists charts, and helped England secure their first major trophy. The year ended with Mead becoming the first female footballer to win BBC Sports Personality of the Year, alongside finishing runner-up for the Ballon d’Or.

Injury, Loss, and Return

Football’s highest moments can quickly be followed by its most difficult. In November 2022, Mead suffered an ACL injury against Manchester United, becoming part of the devastating wave of long-term injuries affecting the women’s game at the time. The injury ruled her out for the remainder of the season and meant missing the 2023 World Cup.

Only months later, she lost her mum to ovarian cancer. Mead has since spoken about how important Arsenal became during that period; teammates and the wider club environment helped carry her through one of the most challenging times in her life.

Her return in October 2023 carried huge emotional weight and relief, both for Arsenal supporters and the wider football community. Trademark Mead, however, milestones quickly followed, when one month later, she became just the second player to reach 100 combined goals and assists in the WSL.

A Legacy in Red and White

The 2025 Champions League campaign will likely remain the defining club achievement of Mead’s Arsenal career. Fittingly, Mead contributed her trademark creativity, assisting the winning goal in the final.

The achievements during her time at Arsenal are outstanding:

WSL title winner
3x League Cups
UEFA Women’s Champions League winner
Two-time European champion with England
Ballon d’Or runner-up
Arsenal Player of the Season
Multiple WSL creative records

More Than a Footballer

Whilst Beth may top the charts on stats, she is also a huge voice in the Arsenal dressing room. Teammates consistently describe her as one of the loudest personalities in the team, as well as being one of the funniest, most loyal, and endlessly talkative players in the squad. A personality that extends far beyond football.

Mead has become an important voice for LGBTQ+ inclusion within the game, speaking publicly about visibility, representation, and creating safer environments within football culture.

Additionally, following the loss of her mum, she also became a vocal advocate for cervical cancer awareness and screening. Through Arsenal’s ‘Defend Your Tomorrow’ initiative, she has helped raise awareness around HPV vaccination, symptoms, and the importance of early detection.

Beth extends what she gives to her friends and loved ones to the wider football community too, with few players having connected with Arsenal fans in the way Mead has. Through her support of fan-led initiatives - such as supporting AFTA from day one - she helped strengthen the growing relationship between players and supporter culture in the women’s game.

A New Chapter

It remains difficult to picture Beth Mead anywhere other than north London in red and white.

Transfer rumours will continue to circulate, with links already appearing around clubs like Manchester City, but her next move should not overshadow what she leaves behind at Arsenal. This departure marks the end of a generation of Arsenal, with the highest of highs, and devastating lows, all coming together to create the beautiful journey of Beth Mead.

Beth Mead leaves Arsenal with trophies, record-breaking stats, memories to last a lifetime, and connection.

‘Superstar For Arsenal’