'The discussion kind of annoys me but I was part of the problem and I'm part of the reason that these discussions are still happening' Football Manager studio director reveals why women's football is so 'late' to be added to the game

"I was on a panel where we were talking about it and I was asked why we hadn't done women's football and I said it wasn't commercially viable. Today's best Sega Football Manager 26 deals Three Lionesses grabbed me afterwards and sat me down, and said, Unless we get the support from other games companies and media companies, it's never going to be commercially viable. You need to help us break through the glass ceiling.'"

"This was at a time when it wasn't at a level that it is now. The discussion kind of annoys me but I was part of the problem and I'm part of the reason that these discussions are still happening. Let's hope that us, Sky, the BBC, FourFourTwo, EA Sports FC and everyone else let's hope that we can get to a point where we don't have to have this discussion anymore."

Football Manager 26 launches next month with women's football available in the game. The integration was announced four years earlier but implementation took longer due to commercial viability concerns. Advocacy from top players pushed the studio to prioritise inclusion and to seek broader industry and media support to break through barriers. The studio acknowledges being late and aims to address the gap. Real-world clubs use Football Manager as a scouting tool, and the game aims to improve and expand data for the women's game to boost visibility, scouting and player development.

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