Liv Cooke leads a hectic life, which she documents on social media. In addition to investing in real estate and winning freestyle football world championships, she appears to find time to inspire young girls to play football, create new techniques, save fallen phones and iPads with her feet, and even go paragliding. She may have everything figured out, that she has had perfect control over her career path as she does with the ball, but this was not always the case.
She says Moving the Goalposts, “I wanted nothing more than to be able to say that I am the best freestyler on the planet.” “I don’t believe I’ve ever planned further ahead. Therefore, I was utterly bewildered when I finally received that information years later.
“I was previously preoccupied with stunts, tricks, and more tricks, but now it’s all about building a profession. Even as the size of these transactions and the number of my followers grow, for me it is not about the money, but rather what we can do and what comes next. I’m considering going for a seventh world record at this point, I suppose.
Cooke does feats such as kicking a phone onto a diving board and keeping a ball aloft while paragliding to demonstrate his prowess on social media. And she is very forthright about how difficult it is. “If I claim there was only one take, there was just one. Initially, I desired to go skydiving, but it would have been impossible to juggle a ball at that speed. So while I was in Los Angeles, I found a paragliding enthusiast to accompany me.
She laughs as she says, “We got up there, and I’ve been supremely confident and arrogant the entire time.” However, the wind and altitude hampered progress. “The initial few touches were somewhat abrasive. I was all over the place, but I eventually adapted. When I caught the ball, I noticed that the person recording was using landscape orientation, but Instagram, come on!” The video has been seen over a billion times already.
When Cooke discusses job advancement, she means it. Cooke was playing for Blackburn Rovers alongside Georgia Stanway, Ella Toone, and Keira Walsh, and it appeared that she might become a professional football player. At the age of 14, a back problem caused her to alter course. Attempting not to lose touch during her rehabilitation, she began balancing a ball while seated; she did not realize it at the time, but this marked the beginning of a new journey.
Even more challenging was the fact that she went from an unappreciated profession in women’s club football to “no career at all” with freestyling. “It was a truly foolish choice. But I knew in my heart that it was the correct thing to do, so I did it anyhow,” she explains.
“It all appears deliberate in many ways, but football was never a job for me. I was traveling in that direction, but I never once thought to myself, “I wonder how much money I’m going to sign for.” That was never a consideration for me. I was going to play football for the rest of my life, regardless of whether I earned £10 or £10,000 an hour. My satisfaction was neither materialistic nor monetary. It was getting on the field, winning on weekends, and enjoying the game with my teammates.”
Cooke believes that having supportive colleagues makes a significant difference. “If you make a mistake during a football game, you likely have another 80 minutes to make it up. And if you make an error, your teammates will likely cover for you. No one will aid you if you make a mistake in freestyle, and there is no time to make it up.
Growing up with two older brothers, Cooke’s childhood has always included football. She always ended up in goal while playing with them and other guys up to five years older than her, but, as she puts it, “I was much younger and not particularly skilled.” However, this helped her to strengthen her ball control and touch. She never questioned whether or not she should play football. She just did. There was never a time when I felt inferior; that thought never entered my mind.
Now, the 23-year-objective old’s is to encourage others to find the same enjoyment in the sport that she has. She is constructing two soccer fields in her hometown of Leyland, complete with locations for parents to rest while their children play, dressing rooms, and equipment for players to hone their talents.
The facilities are scheduled to open “very shortly.” She also endeavors to respond to social media remarks and instill confidence. “I was not a confident child, nor did I have much going for me. Football and freestyle were the only means by which I gained confidence. I want them to know that I have always tried to be the role model I wished I had since I am aware of its significance.”
Cooke feels that anyone can surpass her as the world’s finest freestyler by working “harder and smarter.” To achieve this, though, they must be able to accept and learn from setbacks. “Ask yourself why you lost the war, rather than blaming others, your environment, or making other excuses.” Then you may proceed to work on that.”
