What happens in Lyon...

Chapter 1 : Deciding to Leave

Ellie's perspective:
I had been playing at Lyon for about a year now, despite all this time I was still speaking very broken French and missing home. My last club Melbourne City was no where near as hard for me to feel at home at. My family was a hour flight away and I could message or call them at anytime without the stress of thinking about time zones. I really missed that feeling of "home" that Australia brought, and well it had been almost 18 months since I last was there. During my time at Lyon I had become close with a few of the girls but found that they all just saw themselves as nothing but professional athletes. I sometimes wondered if it was just me when I'd ask them out for a drink or to come over for dinner and they'd all say no without hesitation. It's just been so difficult. Just as I thought I was getting used to the girls professionalism and lack of interest in me I braced myself for the expected announcements of new players for the new season.

Daan's perspective:
Arsenal had been the most fun I had had since the beginning of my career back at Willem II in the Netherlands. It had been a long 6 years which had let me settle down a bit. My girlfriend Beth and I had been together for a few seasons now, and we had even bought a place in St Albans about a 5 minute drive from our training ground. We had been very open about our relationship posting pictures on social media pretty early on. I loved Beth's confidence and found it so easy to put our relationship out into the world because I knew no matter what criticism we may receive that we could face it together. I was so frightened to leave my best friend and safe place along with our close group of friends we had made at Arsenal. Beth would continue to play her football there as I moved on to one of the most amazing clubs in world.

Olympic Lyonnaise had contacted me back in May about an opportunity for a two year contract. Arsenal did not offer any extension to my contract and upon discussion with my parents, Beth and a lot of the Arsenal girls I decided this would be the best thing for my future.

Beth and I began packing my side of the wardrobe into two large suitcases a week before I was set to start training with Lyon. We would fly down together and set me up in my apartment that I was set to share with another of the Lyon players. It was the following morning that Lyon would post the offical confirmation of the transfer. That night when Beth and I jumped into bed, me wearing one of Beth's pj sets to save myself any last minute washing she looked over her shoulder ready to say her regular goodnight. I sat up nervously on my phone messaging my sister about my plans to visit her and my nieces. Suddenly a hand pulling my phone out of my reach caught my attention. It was Beth. She looked at me with a tear making it's way down her left cheek. I returned the gaze and said the words that had been on repeat in my mind for the last month "this will be a good thing for my career, and we will be more than ok Beth". She pulled me in for a kiss before rolling over and turning her lamp off. Right as I reached to turn mine off I heard a small whisper "I hope we will be ok Daan".