'I have wonderful people to look up to' - Murray.

Serena Williams and Simone Biles are names that often spring to mind when you consider some of the world’s most inspirational black women.

And while this is no different for City defender Satara Murray, it’s her mother Glenda who remains the most prominent and influential figure in her life.

Born in Brooklyn, New York, and growing up in Austin, Texas, Murray certainly had challenges to face on her rise to the top of the game and a career that saw her play in the Barclays Women’s Super League, the National Women’s Soccer League and for her country, Jamaica.

But with the unwavering support and countless sacrifices of her mother, the 30-year-old can now reflect on her experiences in football.

“Being a black girl growing up in Texas and playing a sport that was made up of predominately white players was hard,” she explained. “I often struggled to work out where I belonged.

“I was the complete opposite, a black kid from a single-parent household where my mum could barely afford for me to play, but thankfully I was good enough to be offered a scholarship and therefore got access to the necessary resources.

“My mum is always going to be my biggest inspiration and the one I look up to most in this world, for a number of reasons.

“She raised two young girls on her own and she made two pretty awesome daughters. She is the one person that I constantly admire because the perseverance she has shown through our struggles growing up is incredible.

“She was always strong, even in the moments she should have been weak, she stayed strong for me and my sister and she is the strongest black woman I know and the most important one in my life.

“My mum is strong in every way possible and I think that’s where I get a lot of my strength from because anytime I feel like I’m going through it I know my mom has been through worse and has got through it.

“Even though I’m 30 and my sister is 33, that woman won’t miss a beat and will always make sure we’re still protected by her and I know she will always be there for us.

"That is a mother I’m beyond grateful to have.”

Murray now prides herself on the opportunity she has to be a role model for young girls making their first steps into sport, and highlighted the lack of representation she saw as a child.

“One of the main reasons I play football is to show little black girls that there are people who look like you and play this sport,” she continued.

“We are helping to further lay the foundations for the next generation as if to say, ‘we did it, so now you can'. I want to see more people that look like me coming through to the professional game because there is so much undiscovered talent out there.

“Just the other day, someone said to my mum, ‘Oh, your daughter plays soccer? There’s not many black girls in that sport.’ Those conversations are still going on and I want to get to a point where that’s no longer the case and it’s a given that girls of colour can flourish in our sport and others.

“When I was growing up, Briana Scurry was the only player I can remember who looked anything like me who was playing for the US Women’s National Team when they won the World Cup in 1999.

“She was a goalkeeper and I was an outfield player, but even so, it felt like she was the only person on the world stage who really represented me so I Iooked up to her massively and felt like I wanted to be like her and end up where she did.”

As time has moved on, and more light has been shed on the ever-growing women’s game, other names have risen to stardom.

“People like Crystal Dunn, Midge Purse and Lynn Williams over in the States were inspirational to me too,” Murray added. “Then girls here like Eni Aluko, Alex Scott and Anita Asante have also all paved the way for the next generation and that’s what I try to achieve in my career too.

“It’s dope to see how much progress has been made in both the men’s and the women’s game and it’s great to see more young, black girls getting involved from a grassroots level and having more opportunities available in a range of communities.

“I wouldn’t say I’m a pioneer but I’m proud to play a part in it and to carry on the good work that the women who have come before me have done.

“When I see the likes of Serena Williams, Simone Biles and Crystal Dunn playing their sport at the absolute elite level, it’s incredible to think about what each and every one of them have overcome in their careers to reach the top.

“It’s beyond admirable to see them come out on top time and time again because it’s so easy to throw in the towel in the face of criticism, but they overcome adversity time and time again and still somehow manage to stay at the summit - it’s inhuman, and that’s the strength of black women.

“When you look at Serena, it’s genuinely difficult to comprehend what she has achieved. To be able to start a family, have a child, do your thing and then come back to tennis less than a year later to win a Grand Slam and remain on top – I love it!

“Black women make waves, that’s one thing for sure, and I love that I have such wonderful people to look up to both close and dear but also from afar.”