Wearing their art on their sleeves! Women's World Cup is sporting catwalk of David Beckham-inspired tattoos as female players show inked arms aren't just for the boys
- Football tournament has seen varied display of body art on female players
- American striker Sydney Leroux 'loves' tattoos and has over 15 designs
- Ashlyn Harris, Dzsenifer Marozsan and Anja Mittag have extensive body art
- England midfielder Jill Scott has Whitney Huston lyric inked on her wrist
Female footballers have been hitting the tattoo parlour before making their way onto the pitch with many sporting full sleeve inkings of the kind made famous by a certain Mr Beckham.
During the Women's World Cup football tournament, currently being played in Canada, star players such as Ashlyn Harris, Sydney Leroux and Dzsenifer Marozsan have been showing off extensive body art with many saying they use the designs as a method of self expression.
The most eye-catching tattoos have been seen on American and German players, with the England team favouring more discreet emblems; Midfielder Jill Scott has a song lyric etched around her wrist.
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American goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris got her first inking at 18 and now has her entire left sleeve covered in designs (Pictured on the pitch with teammate Amy Rodriguez, far left, and wearing a more revealing t-shirt)
No regrets: The 29-year-old's tattoos include Greek gods Zeus and Athena, left, and Hawaiian flowers, right, which remind her of her parents
Leading the pack is US goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris, who has used her body as a surface for elaborate inkings.
After getting her first tattoo at 18 - a butterfly on her ribs in dedication to her grandmother - the now 29-year-old has added countless drawings to her athletic figure, which she refers to as her 'canvas'.
'I love fashion; I love all types of self-expression. I'm covered in tattoos and everything means something,' she told Beats and Rhymes FC.
'They're all meaningful because they all represent me and my family and my journey. I like to express myself through my tattoos.'
Images of Greek gods Zeus and Athena are there to symbolise Ashlyn's bond with her father, as are the Hawaiian flowers that once adorned the surfboards he would buy her as a child back home in Florida.
Ashlyn's teammate, striker Sydney Leroux, is also a fan of going under the needle and estimates she has '15 or so tattoos' that cover her arms, neck, back and feet. Although images of the pacy US football star show they are fairly recent...a beach photo from 2013 shows her without quite so much ink.
Blame it on Beckham! Former footballer David has both of his arms covered in black and white designs including an angel, ring of roses and the word 'love'
Paint me: Sydney Leroux got her first tattoo at the tender age of 13 and now has roman numerals and an image of a dog etched onto her arm
Ink and speed: Sydney Leroux is happy to glam up away from the locker room
Canadian goalkeeper Stephanie Labbe (left) ensures she never feels homesick with her large collection of tattoos that include doodles of her home in Alberta. German midfielder Dzsenifer Marozsan, right, has her whole left arm covered in black and white designs including three large dream catchers and a giant rose
Like David Beckham, the sportswoman has struggled to count the exact number of inkings saying they all 'kind of merge into one'.
The 25-year-old told Larry Brown Sports: 'I love tattoos. It’s like a way to express yourself without saying anything.'
Sydney got her first tattoo at the tender age of 13. Her mother said she was allowed to get an inking if she scored 10 goals at a national tournament. She went on to score 13.
As well as her sleeve art which features dream catchers, feathers and flowers, Sydney has an enormous cherry blossom tree covering her entire back that is homage to her mother.
Similarly to the former Manchester United star who has tattoos dedicated to wife Victoria and his children, Sydney was inspired by her family.
'The tattoo on my back is like a story,' she added.
'It kind of puts together my life. I say everything I've done is because of my mom.'
Meanwhile, vying for the most tattooed member of the squad award is American forward Natasha Kai.
On her last count the 32-year-old revealed she has a whopping 55 tattoos that start on her left ankle, run up both arms and legs and end on the back of her neck.
She has one football-related tattoo on her back that was inked on by prestigious LA Ink star Kat Von D.
'It’s God’s hands holding with the word believe in Chinese,' she told New York Times.
'That’s the word we used in the Olympics. If we believe in each other, then great things will come and we won.'
But it's not just the Americans who are channelling David Beckham's body art.
Striker Anja Mittag has an attention-grabbing red and white lighthouse on the inside of her right arm and her left is decorated in flowers and a large colourful cassette tap
On her last count Natasha Kai said she had 55 tattoos that start on her left ankle, run up both arms and legs and end on the back of her neck
Anja Mittag appears to have been inspired by David Beckham with her full sleeves of intricate drawings
England central midfielder Jill Scott, left, has a quote encircling her right wrist, which reads: 'Step by step, day by day, mile by mile', right
German players Dzsenifer Marozsan, 23, and Anja Mittag, 30, both appear to have been inspired by the British sporting legend with a full arm of doodles.
Midfielder Dzsenifer has her whole left arm covered in black and white designs including three large dream catchers and a giant rose.
Meanwhile striker Anja has an attention-grabbing red and white lighthouse on the inside of her right arm and her left is decorated in flowers and a large colourful cassette tape.
Earlier this year Anja had 'Stockholm, 28.07.2013' — the date and time of her team’s victory in the 2013 European Championship final against Norway— tattooed onto her arm.
She sees the inking as 'a symbol of victory and resurrection'.
The England team appear to favour more discreet designs than David Beckham's bold look.
Central midfielder Jill Scott, 28, has a quote encircling her right wrist, which reads: 'Step by step, day by day, mile by mile.'
'It’s a Whitney Houston song,' she told The Independent.
'I got it done at the last Euros. It sums everything up for me.'
Canadian goalkeeper Stephanie Labbe ensures she never feels homesick with her large collection of tattoos.
The 28-year-old has things that remind her of her home Alberta such as the Rocky Mountains and spruce trees.
'My tattoo is an Alberta pride piece. I have a compass showing that I'm from the northern part of Alberta,' she revealed.
'I also have an anchor which shows me to stay grounded and always remember where I'm from. Then a quote saying, "Be you bravely".'
David Beckham has spent years under the tattooist's needle transforming his body into a piece of art.
His tattoos include a large angel on the top of his right arm, a ring of roses by his elbow and the word 'love' with a swallow underneath on his left hand.
'Everybody’s got a way of expressing their feelings, and mine is through my tattoos,' he said.
The semi-finals of the Women's World Cup kick off on Tuesday with USA taking on Germany. England will face current titleholders Japan on Wednesday with the final due to be played on July 5 at BC Place Stadium in Vancouver.
Read more:
- Ashlyn Harris interview: The style, the spirit, the story – U.S. keeper painting her heart | Beats & Rhymes FC
- Sydney Leroux tattoos: 'I love tattoos' | Larry Brown Sports
- goal.blogs.nytim...
- Jill Scott starts a new adventure: why women's game is on the up again - News & Comment - Football - The Independent
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