“From kicking a ball in the park with my dad to playing for England, I never thought this would be possible” Jess Naz on England call-ups, family and Drake

Ask Jess Naz what her karaoke song is, and she doesn’t hesitate.

“Ooh, I think anything Drake,” she laughs. A confident answer - and an early glimpse into the Tottenham forward’s energy, that has earned her another call-up to Sarina Wiegman’s Lionesses after cruelly missing out on the Euros.

With Jess Park withdrawing from the England squad with injury, Naz, 25, has been called up for the first time since April. She last representing the Lionesses in February when earning her sixth cap at Wembley.

"You're a girl, we don't want to train with you"

Naz’s football story began a world away from stadium lights, kicking a ball around in a park with her family.

“It started with my dad and younger brother,” Naz said. “They used to kick a ball in the park so I just started joining in and I loved it.

“I started training with my younger brother, with the boys team wherever I got an opportunity at school, after school, literally just kicking a ball about. At the time, there weren't really girls football teams so I used to train with the boys.

“At the start, they'd be like, ‘oh, you're a girl, we don't want to train with you’ but then they'd see me school them, and they'd invite me to join.”

Soon after, she found a home in a girls football team at Tottenham, the club she still proudly represents today.

From the park to professional football, Naz’s journey reached new heights last year when she received her first England call-up in May 2024, a moment that came just after a bittersweet FA Cup final where Tottenham lost to Manchester United.

“It was a crazy 24 hours because it was just after the FA Cup final. I got a call from Sarina [Wiegman] the next day saying I’d been invited to train. It was just a crazy feeling. I was buzzing, called my family, told everyone, and they were so happy for me.

“Every call-up is still special to me. Every time I get the email or call saying I've got a call-up, it's a chance for me to grow and improve, be in the environment with top-class players, and hopefully I can earn my place.”

As a London girl, there’s an added element of pride, walking out at Wembley or the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

“Honestly, a lot of things I don't think about until they’re done. When I'm in the moment, I'm focused. When I sit back or we talk about it with family, I would have never thought I'd be playing at a sold out Wembley Stadium.

“I would have never thought that growing up, especially when I didn't think that women's football was such a big thing and didn't know that I could be a professional footballer.

“The way the game has grown from when I was young until now, and it's going to continue to keep growing, I'm so excited for that.”

Naz missed out on the summer’s victorious Euros squad, following Tottenham’s difficult season, which saw them finish 11th out of 12.

But with Spurs thriving in the new campaign and sitting fourth in the league, Naz appears to have regained her confidence under new manager Martin Ho.

Earlier this year, when asked what her goals were, she said: “I want to just keep growing as a person and as a player, building consistency.

“I've been at the club for a while, so I want to be a key player for this club. Scoring goals, creating assists, and ultimately, being the best person and version I can be of myself.

“At England, just thriving, trying to get to levels, scoring goals, and helping the team out as much as I can.”

And of course, perfecting her Drake karaoke catalogue along the way.