Sue Smith believes England’s Lionesses can make a real impact on the new WSL season, after Euros glory this summer.
Many of England’s stars will be involved when the new domestic campaign begins next weekend - Smith, who played 93 times for England between 1997 and 2012, will be working for Sky Sports as a pundit during the season, and admits she’s “still smiling” after an astonishing summer for the national team.
“I was so invested in it through the whole summer, going from game to game analysing tactics and teams, travelling around on the Sky bus, going to different venues and watching this England side progress,” she says.
“We were trying to guess what Sarina Wiegman was going to do – would she change a team or stick with the same 11, and who should England look out for? But the way they navigated the tournament was brilliant.”
Despite working for most of the tournament, Smith went to the final “as a fan”.
“It was unreal,” she says, “I got really emotional during the national anthem. I hadn’t been all the way through because I’d been so focused on it all. I’d been so impressed with them and the standard of football, but just watching, I was wiping my eye.
“I thought, this is what we’ve always wanted – to play in a final, at Wembley, against Germany, in front of a full crowd, it was amazing. The atmosphere was incredible and the girls did so well.
“I was so nervous, more nervous than when I played, because you can’t affect things. But the girls weren’t nervous, they were so calm, they knew their gameplan and they believed they were going to win it, and you could see that.”
Smith believes that the feelgood factor will roll over into the forthcoming WSL season, and continue to benefit the women’s game in England.
“Boys and girls equally were taken in by the Lionesses, and so many people have spoken to me about it. The impact that it is going to have – kids are going to go and watch women’s football for the first time. They were taken in by the characters and personalities over the summer, so they’re going to follow them with their clubs. It’s just brilliant.”
Ellen White and Jill Scott have announced their retirement since the Euros, while Lucy Bronze and Georgia Stanway will be plying their trade overseas this season at Barcelona and Bayern Munich respectively, but Smith assesses some of the Lionesses’ other stars, as they go into the WSL campaign:
Beth Mead (Arsenal)
“She was unreal at the Euros. Look at the story she had – left out of the Olympics, you can react one way or another. You can either go into your shell and sulk and not perform, or you can do what Beth did and show everyone what a fantastic player you are. She’s shown grit and determination for Arsenal, but you can see the enjoyment she gets from the game too. Goals, assists, work rate. You feel she’s going to be even better this season. Being left out, coming back and doing amazing things, it is a good lesson for any footballer. Thing don’t always go smoothly and there are hurdles to overcome.”
Leah Williamson (Arsenal)
“She’s young but she is a leader, a proper captain. When you speak to managers, coaches and players who have played with her, they say that she’s always had those leadership qualities. She is so mature and she is also using her platform for good. Yes she’s a brilliant footballer, but she’s also looking at wider issues and trying to help people. For her to win Euros and say ‘this is just the start’, I love that passion. She’s a quality player for Arsenal and England, but everything else she has brought has been important, too.”
Alessia Russo (Manchester United)
“When she came on at the Euros, you knew something would happen. She is so brave on the ball, she wants to beat players, she wants to score goals, she was that impact sub. But now she’s going to be a main starter. This is her opportunity now, with Ellen White retiring, and she is ready for that different mindset. The more she plays, the more she will develop, but what a talent. To have the confidence and skill to score a backheel in such an important game, not many players would do that. She took it in her stride and I think she’ll have a great season with Manchester United.”
Ella Toone (Manchester United)
“She is brilliant, someone I kept praising for Manchester United last season. She can play at nine, she can play as a 10, as a false nine, out wide. She is so versatile, but her skill set is superb. The way she receives the ball on the half turn, and always looks to play forward is excellent. And she has that great link with Russo – they understand each other. Ella is an intelligent player who can score goals, and she is so calm. These players are used to playing with big crowds now, and it’s frightening to think how good she can be.”
Keira Walsh (Manchester City)
“I want her to stay in the WSL! With the links to her moving to Barcelona, it is obviously all about what she feels is best for her career. We probably don’t talk about Keira as much as we should, because she goes unnoticed sometimes in what she does, but if you know football you know how valuable she is. Declan Rice tweeted about how amazing she is, she is so calm and controlled, she reads the game so well, and she is such a key player for club and country. Manchester City will be desperate to hang on to her.”
Sky Sports will show 35 WSL fixtures exclusively live this season - matches will be available across the flagship channels, including Sky Sports Premier League, Sky Sports Football and Sky Sports Main Event and NOW
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