Words by Rebecca Hall, exclusive photography by Rafaella Macintosh – both at St. George’s Park for Impetus (21/6/23)
Above: Mary Earps makes a superb save during the Lionesses’ training session at St. George’s Park. Photo: Rafaella Macintosh for Impetus.
The Lionesses arrived on Monday night at St. George’s national training facility, and yesterday they began training as their World Cup preparations got underway in earnest.
With the tournament’s opening game less than a month away, excitement and pressure are building around the squad – something the players insist they can separate themselves from.
England’s first game of the tournament will be on 22nd July, but they will play a friendly ‘send-off’ game against Portugal on 1st July in Milton Keynes before Sarina Wiegman’s side travel to Australia four days later.
With just weeks to go, Bethany England spoke of the team’s excitement going into the tournament and described the team as “in high spirits going off the back of last year” and that the “team are excited to show the world what we can do”.
While there were initial concerns not all 23 players would be able to report to the national team due to disagreements concerning player welfare between domestic club release dates, an agreement was eventually reached allowing all players to begin their World Cup preparations together.
However, four players were not in full training. Millie Bright and Jordan Nobbs are on individual programmes. Bright continues to recover from her knee operation and Nobbs has a minor injury. Also on a modified training programme is Bayern Munich star, Georgia Stanway following nasal surgery whilst Jess Park partook in reduced contact training due to a shoulder injury.
The mantra ‘pressure is a privilege’ is a shared belief amongst the Lionesses, and it is clear they are ready for the fight in Australia and focused on their goals. Chelsea defender, Millie Bright has been made captain in the absence of Leah Williamson due to an ACL injury, and the leadership she provides in this space is well-regarded amongst the players. In addition to Bright, Rachel Daly insists lots of players have stepped up, including Mary Earps and Lucy Bronze but ultimately “everyone has a voice” in this squad.
While England go into the tournament marked as one of the favourites fresh from Euros victory, the players are realistic about the obstacles they may face, including the emotional toll of being away from home.
Rachel Daly agreed that it can be a “tough” aspect of any tournament but that it’s important to “build a home away from home”, by even doing “silly things like unpacking your suitcase, and not living out of it”. Daly, the WSL’s Golden Boot winner this season, said that they would take what they learned from their time at the Lensbury Hotel (base for the Lionesses during the Euro’s) by making sure to familiarise themselves with the area and to “make it home”, stating that this aspect was “super important” for their European success.
Fans and pundits alike have been calling on Head Coach, Sarina Wiegman, to recognise Daly as a forward, which seems to be the case since the Arnold Clark Cup victory. However, the Aston Villa sharpshooter insisted she will happily play any position Wiegman wants her.
Within the Lionesses squad, the striker role is perhaps one of the most hotly contested, but Daly insists the environment is healthy and positive, explaining that “we all push each other and we are all great friends.” WSL fans have become well accustomed to Daly’s goalfests and this form is something that she believes will continue – “I always try and bring my best no matter where I am… I will still perform how I do week in week out.”
Compared to the Euros, the Aston Villa player believes she has further developed on and off the pitch as well, “moving home after being away for ten years and playing in this league (the WSL) was something I wanted to do… but I think you can all tell I’m playing with a smile on my face”– Long may it continue!
The likes of Mary Earps and Keira Walsh were almost a given to be on Wiegman’s squad list, but Jordan Nobbs and Bethany England both made emotional goodbyes to clubs they openly love to find more minutes at Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur, respectively in hopes of getting on the plane to Australia.
England said that when she received the call-up, she felt it validated all her hard work and the difficult decision she made. Of the call itself, the former Chelsea attacker tried to “play it cool on the phone” but when she “hung up the phone I screamed my house down”.
The Spurs striker scored 13 goals in the WSL and felt it was important not just to get playing time but to “make the minutes count”, thanking her London club, she shared it was good to be “happy again”. However, with a broad smile, England, admitted it was great to be back with Chelsea friends, such as Jess Carter, and “experience these times with her”. Although the smile quickly faded, admitting she was “not looking forward to the flight”.
Ultimately, England explained that she “could’ve stayed in her comfort zone (at Chelsea)… but then I would’ve been watching other people going out to Australia, and its something I would’ve regretted looking back on.” The resiliency that shines through in the Spurs striker is sure to benefit not just herself throughout the tournament but the whole squad.
With an impressive record of results and Sarina Wiegman at the helm of this close-knit squad, it is obvious that England fans are in for an exciting summer of football.
Rafaella Macintosh’s exclusive photo gallery from Lionesses’ training at St. George’s Park for Impetus
This is Rebecca Hall and Rafaella Macintosh‘s debut work for Impetus. To find out more about them and all our contributors, click on this link: https://impetusfootball.org/about-our-contributors/
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