Gillian Coultard, MBE

Hi, I’m Gillian Coultard, MBE, and Warehouse Operative at Teva’s Castleford Distribution Centre

“No two days are ever the same, it all depends on the customers and the orders. And that’s good because you know you're going to be doing something different every day.”

I work in the warehouse at Castleford. I work in the team that ensures that the customer gets what they’ve ordered. That means I could be picking products, driving a fork-lift truck, or working on replenishments to ensure we’ve got the right stock for the next set of orders.

I do quite a lot of varied jobs within my shift. No two days are ever the same, it all depends on the customers and the orders. And that’s good because you know you're going to be doing something different every day.

Former captain of the England women’s football team, Gillian is the first woman to have played in over 100 international games for England and overall has made 119 international appearances, making her one of the most prolific international players in English soccer history.

The most important thing I’ve learned from my football career is how to work as part of a team. Here at Teva, teamwork is important or we won’t get the job done. I look at other people and how they work, they have different skills to me, different ways of working and what they’re doing is just as important as what I’m doing. We’re all working together, working to help each other and get products out to patients.

I always strive to do my best. That’s what motivates me, my 8-hour shift is my 90-minute match. If I hit my targets, I’ve won. Otherwise I’ve lost. I’m used to playing as a part of a successful team, the desire to win never goes away.

I'm the youngest of a family of eight, I have four brothers and three sisters. I always tagged along with my oldest brother and football was what I wanted to do from a young age. I was always kicking a football and then I watched the FA Cup finals and thought, "I want to play for England”. And I was fortunate enough to do it 119 times, to captain the England team and play at Wembley. I was the first person to score a goal for England in the women’s World Cup. All of my dreams came true. Believe in your dreams.

I started playing football on our local green with other families, then I played football in primary school. But when I went to secondary school, I was told I had to play the girls' games, which were hockey and netball. Luckily, my PE teacher took me to see Doncaster Belles, a local women’s football team who just happened to be one of the best teams in England. I joined the team when I was 13 and I had my first England trial the same year. I played my first match for England in May 1981, against the Republic of Ireland. We won.

A player who was coming to the end of her career as I was starting mine said, "You're only as good as your last game”. If you don't give 100% in that game, you might not get picked for the next one, so that's how I looked at it. And fortunately for me, I never missed any games through injury. I was never left out of the team, other than the last game of my football career, which was against Norway. That was my 119th appearance and that was it. Once that happened, I thought, it’s time to hang the boots up.

To achieve success in life, always do a good job, whatever you’re doing. I like my job, I like to get those tablets out the door, to get them out to the patients that need them. Commit yourself, don’t do it half-heartedly. You’ve got to give 100%. I like to think I give 100% for Teva.