List of All Articles with Tag 'ball'

Australia will look to advance to the quarter-finals of the Women’s World Cup as they host Denmark at a sold-out Olympic Stadium in Sydney. The World Cup co-hosts survived a “do or die” clash with Canada to progress to the knockout stages in style, thrashing the Olympic champions 4-0 to finish top of Group B. The Matildas could be boosted by the return of star striker and captain Sam Kerr, who missed all three group games due to injury but could be back for the knockout stages. Denmark are led by Kerr’s former Chelsea team-mate Pernille Harder and reached the last-16 after finishing runner-up to England in Group B. The early exits of Germany, the USA and Brazil have opened up the World Cup and now Australia and Denmark have an opportunity to make a claim. Follow live updates from Australia vs Denmark in the Women’s World Cup last-16, below. Read More Women’s World Cup TV schedule: How to watch every match today Women’s World Cup golden boot: Who’s leading the top-scorer standings? Women’s football world rankings: Who could take No 1 at the World Cup?

Watch live as supporters arrive at Stadium Australia for the Women’s World Cup last-16 match between co-hosts Australia and Denmark. All eyes will be on the Matildas, as all-time leading scorer Sam Kerr is set to make her first appearance of the tournament in Monday’s tie. The Chelsea forward did not play in Australia’s three group games because of a calf injury, but the side still finished top of their group with six points. They beat the Republic of Ireland 1-0 in their opening fixture, before losing 3-2 to Nigeria and beating Canada 4-0. Runners-up Nigeria are facing England in the last-16, a match which kicked off ahead of Australia vs Denmark. While Kerr and co are favourites heading into the match, the Danes are expected to provide a tough test. England scraped past them with a 1-0 victory in Group D, with Denmark beating China and Haiti to secure their place in the knockouts. Read More Australia vs Denmark LIVE: Latest Women’s World Cup updates England’s Niamh Charles has new level of respect for ‘machine’ Sam Kerr Australia thrash Canada to save Women’s World Cup dream from the jaws of a nightmare

Mohamed Salah’s agent has dismissed speculation linking the Liverpool forward with a move to Saudi Arabia as the 31-year-old “remains committed” to the club. A report in the Middle East claimed talks were taking place between the Egypt international’s representatives and Al-Ittihad over a deal said to be worth over £155million over two years to the player. Salah’s former team-mate Fabinho has already made the move to Al-Ittihad this summer in a £40m transfer. In that context the £60m fee being touted for Salah – who has scored 139 goals in 231 Premier League appearances – appeared to under-value a player who is only 12 months into a three-year deal which is the most lucrative contract in Liverpool’s history. And Salah’s representative insists the former Chelsea and Roma forward has no intention of leaving Anfield in any case. “If we considered leaving LFC this year, we wouldn’t have renewed the contract last summer. Mohamed remains committed to LFC,” Salah’s agent Ramy Abbas posted on Twitter. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

For the teams left in this World Cup, there were mixed feelings when the USA went out, and not just because of the emotions that remarkable penalty shoot-out produced. There is obviously a general excitement that the champions are out, theoretically opening up the whole tournament. A few players watching on, however, have confided that the US were “underwhelming”. Many would have liked the chance to take the champions on and beat them, asserting their standards. Such sentiments would no doubt have aggravated the Americans, if they were in any mood to look back on this worst ever performance by a team that were defending champions. One frustrated argument within the US camp has been that it has largely been about a ludicrous amount of missed chances, and a bit of bad luck. Goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher pointing to the line as she disputed Lina Hurtig’s ludicrously tight penalty seemed the most apt symbolism of this. It really did come down to the narrowest of gaps. But, in truth, only on the night. This World Cup failure is indeed the story of margins and gaps, but in how the rest of the women’s game has caught up with the US, as it now looks a little isolated in terms of coaching culture. There are big questions for the federation here, but they come amid far bigger themes, even if there is fair criticism for manager Vlatko Andonovksi. The truth is that great football eras almost never end with close calls or that last fighting pride. There is almost always something close to collapse, as history-making teams inevitably stay wedded to trusted methods and players. In this case, it was in persisting with previous greats like Alex Morgan, who could no longer apply the finishing she used to. That is also the point when a valuable experience can evolve into a certain “arrogance” and “complacency”, two words that have been used by sources with knowledge of the camp. The ultimate in this remains the Spanish men’s team in 2014, whose unprecedented run of three successive major trophies ended with two humiliating defeats to Netherlands and Chile. The US didn’t play that badly, and actually performed better in general play than they are now being given credit for. They are still just like that Spain, however, in being responsible for the World Cup’s worst ever performance by defending champions. None had ever gone out before the quarter-finals. The US themselves had never gone out before the semi-finals. That reflects the scale of the disappointment - but also how the world has changed. This is where the biggest questions for the federation come, as distilled in one of the primary themes of this World Cup. US soccer has long had issues as a “middle-class sport”, where basic participation costs a lot. While this has for a long time been such a weakness in the men’s game, though, it has led to one of the women’s team’s main strengths. They benefited from a level of training beyond most nations, that primarily gave the side conditioning advantages. The US could often just overpower opposition. As women’s football has moved to a different level in Europe, so has the training. Many nations now benefit from complete professionalism, eroding some of the USA’s most immediate advantages. This has laid bare something else: tactical and technical development. The US have very quickly looked more rudimentary than the better European sides in terms of team approach. A lot of this does come down to Andanovski. A fundamental truth remains that this US team would likely have gone much further, and probably won it again, under a better coach. Other than the irony of the better performance of the Sweden match, this seemed a classic case of a talented squad being made less than the sum of the parts. As ever in such eliminations, though, it is impossible not to wonder whether other factors influenced. Has the US suffered from all but one of their squad staying at home, and not playing in the Women’s Champions League? The women’s game is following the men’s in that regard in terms of where the wealth is going, which is overwhelming western Europe. That brings a concentration of playing and coaching talent that gradually brings a vitality. Is this what we are starting to see? Many around the US squad might reasonably point to Germany going out. It’s also true that the bigger nations have generally come here a little undercooked, gradually finding their feet as the tournament has gone on. Some of them just slipped before they could stand at their strongest. That happens in tournaments. Evolution in football only happens, however, if you face up to the realities of the game. The US may have to have a serious discussion about talent production, even allowing for the development of a star like Sophia Smith. Her rise does touch on that other crucial tension, between old and new. There has been growing talk of a camp that isn’t fully united. This itself isn’t new, mind. Carli Lloyd’s criticism only followed a pattern of this in US World Cups, that perhaps inevitably influenced a great history-making team. The very success of the side has also played into another issue here. It has been harder to drop players because they are not just great footballers but icons - in the truest sense of an overused word. That obviously isn’t to refer to the tedious and unfair culture war that surrounds a truly progressive team. Some of the usual voices were already being raised about Megan Rapinoe in the wake of her penalty miss, and they don’t even warrant naming. This is really about pure football terms. That status will affect tactical execution and decisions, even if it is subconscious. It is why these empires always end with some ignominy, far away from the standards and identity that used to define them. It becomes almost self-fulfilling, and full circle. Take the USA’s one victory at this World Cup, that almost cost them more than any other game. In 2019, the team were widely criticised for applying their winning identity to the full, and raucously celebrating all 13 goals against Thailand. This time, the opportunity was there to cut loose against Vietnam, but they couldn’t. It set a tone, and certainly set a pace. The Netherlands showed they were much more up to speed with a 7-0 as the US avoided a humiliating elimination to Portugal by the width of a post. Another small gap. It is the story of this World Cup for the deposed champions. This US team changed women's football. They are now feeling the effects of that. Read More USA’s dominant era ends on a night of chaos, confusion and heartbreak From Megan Rapinoe’s miss to VAR drama: How the USA and Sweden’s penalty shoot-out unfolded Women’s World Cup golden boot: Who’s leading the top-scorer standings? Who is Jess Carter? England defender in profile England vs Nigeria LIVE: Women’s World Cup 2023 score and latest updates Who are the BBC World Cup commentators? Full list of pundits

England face their biggest test of the Women’s World Cup yet as the Lionesses take on Nigeria in the last-16 in Brisbane. It’s been a tournament of shocks and surprises so far and Sarina Wiegman’s side will be wary of becoming another, after the defending champions United States joined Germany, Canada and Brazil in exiting the competition on Sunday. But it means the tournament is opening up, with England among those who are looking like contenders in Australia and New Zealand. The Lionesses produced a brilliant performance to thrash China 6-1 last time out, so confidence is high among the camp. Nigeria are dangerous opposition: led by star striker Asisat Oshoala, the Super Falcons stunned Australia and held Canada on their way to qualifying for the knockout stages. Follow live updates from England vs Nigeria in Brisbane as the Lionesses look to reach the Women’s World Cup quarter-finals Read More Women’s World Cup TV schedule: How to watch every match today Lauren James: England’s new superstar taking World Cup by storm Women’s World Cup golden boot: Who’s leading the top-scorer standings?

England face their biggest test of the Women’s World Cup yet as the Lionesses take on Nigeria in the last-16 in Brisbane. It’s been a tournament of shocks and surprises so far and Sarina Wiegman’s side will be wary of becoming another, after the defending champions United States joined Germany, Canada and Brazil in exiting the competition on Sunday. But it means the tournament is opening up, with England among those who are looking like contenders in Australia and New Zealand. The Lionesses produced a brilliant performance to thrash China 6-1 last time out, so confidence is high among the camp. Follow LIVE: England vs Nigeria in Women’s World Cup last-16 as Keira Walsh starts Nigeria are dangerous opposition: led by star striker Asisat Oshoala, the Super Falcons stunned Australia and held Canada on their way to qualifying for the knockout stages. Here’s everything you need to know ahead of England vs Nigeria at the Women’s World Cup. When is England vs Nigeria? The match will kick off at 8:30am BST on Monday 7 August. What TV channel is it on? England’s first match of the knockout stages against Nigeria will be shown on BBC One, with coverage starting from 8am. The match will also be available to watch on BBC iPlayer. What is the England team news? Keira Walsh has made a stunning return for England’s last-16 Women’s World Cup clash against Nigeria. Walsh was carried off on a stretcher late in the first half of the Lionesses’ 28 July victory over Denmark, with fears that the influential midfielder’s tournament could be over, but scans revealed her knee injury was not as serious as first suspected. And after taking part in full training over the weekend, Walsh is back in England’s starting line-up. She is the only change to Sarina Wiegman’s side from the team that thrashed China 6-1, replacing Katie Zelem in midfield. It means England keep their 3-5-2 formation, Lucy Bronze and Rachel Daly start at full-back, either side of a back three of Jess Carter, Millie Bright and Alex Greenwood, with Mary Earps in goal. Alessia Russo and Lauren Hemp started as a front two against China and keep their places after both finding the scoresheet in the 6-1 win, while Lauren James is the first name on the teamsheet after her stunning two-goal and three-assist display against China. Walsh partners Georgia Stanway in midfield, with the Bayern Munich star impressing in the number six position in Walsh’s absence. One thing Wiegman may consider is she has three players, Stanway, Hemp and Greenwood, who are on yellow cards and would miss the quarter-final if they pick up another and England make it there. Yellow cards are not wiped until after the last-16. Read More Sharpened England face a World Cup test with a different edge Millie Bright on England captaincy: ‘I don’t give the orders - everyone has a platform’ USA’s dominant era ends on a night of chaos, confusion and heartbreak England vs Nigeria LIVE: Women’s World Cup build-up and team news Sarina Wiegman reveals stunning Keira Walsh fitness update on eve of Nigeria clash Millie Bright: ‘I don’t give the orders - everyone has a platform’

If there’s one thing football fans never learn from, it’s the year-to-year optimism which flourishes right ahead of a new season’s kick-off. Suddenly, regardless of disappointments or despair which came only a few months earlier, positivity and possibility reigns supreme once more. Naturally, that can ebb and flow once the campaign actually gets started, not just with results but with those within the club talking up, or down, the prospects of success. For Liverpool fans, while 2022/23 was a year to forget as fast as possible, the regeneration in the centre of the park and promise of still-new attackers taking another step up offers the tantalising prospect of an immediate return to fighting for honours in 23/24. For that to happen, it’s almost certain that one factor needs to play out perfectly: the qualities and availability of Trent Alexander-Arnold, the team’s greatest creator and new vice-captain, must be consistently on show in the roving, scheming role he occupied in the final months of last term. Add that to the reduced initial midweek demands of a club in the Europa League instead of the Champions League, and there’s a real possibility of Jurgen Klopp’s team going full tilt across 38 domestic matches this time around. Good news for Kopites, bad news for defences around the country: that’s precisely what the England international expects, and demands, to happen. “It gives a chance to focus on the Premier League a lot more. We respect the competitions we play and want to win them all but definitely going into the season, our aim is to win the Premier League,” Alexander-Arnold told The Independent from an Under Armour training camp. “[The Europa League] gives us a good chance to focus on it. It’s not about coming second or third and building on that, we’re a team full of winners. We know what it takes, we have the culture and the manager to win. “It’s positive pressure to go and do it again because we’ve got the team to win it.” Bold words, and ones the Anfield faithful will be desperately hoping ring true. But even the hardest of Liverpool fans would find it tough to align what was on show at times last year with potential title-winners this time, regardless of summer dealings and an effective reset. Failing challenges, though, before overcoming them in an even more emphatic manner, is arguably what this team has been built on. “It was a difficult season but that’s football. We’ve faced those times before and definitely will again. We’ll learn from it and move forward; as long as last season was a one-off that’s a good thing. We never want those kinds of seasons but if this one is much better then we’ve proven to ourselves we’re still a top team,” Alexander-Arnold added. His own campaign mirrored that of the team: uneven in parts, way out of form in others – and yet he ended the season in more influential, impactful form than any other Premier League central player, with the possible exception of Ilkay Gundogan. He certainly noticed when he had an upturn in fortunes, but the Reds’ No 66 never wavered in his approach, he insists. “Nothing changed for me throughout the whole season mentality-wise. You keep working. I just wanted to be the best player on the pitch and that never changed – but toward the end of the season I felt I had my powers back, being able to do it consistently.” That switch came after Klopp altered the midfield dynamic, Trent drifting centrally from right-back to play-make from deep. That the alteration came around quickfire fixtures against Arsenal and Chelsea might have been a surprise; that he adapted so well definitely wasn’t. “It wasn’t weeks of planning, it was more information-based rather than practice on pitch,” he explained. “The coaches trust me to fulfil my role when I do have a change. This was probably the biggest one so far but I asked a lot of questions and we were able to make it work – it’s just a lot of information, learning how to make it work and everybody bought into that. “Most enjoyable is the freedom to drift, get on the ball and make things happen. That comes with challenges too, you have to be disciplined and stick to a game plan. There are pros and cons, it’s freedom but with a lot of responsibility to control the game.” Liverpool, as a whole, struggled with the latter aspect last season and the same has perhaps been on view in pre-season, too. Alexander-Arnold acknowledges it’s “still being worked on”, particularly with regards “to nail down the spaces and who fills them” along with “who covers around” when he has made runs from deep and the other defenders are dealing with counter-attacks. It’s not the most simplistic of tactical roles to deal with, either for himself or the team, but Alexander-Arnold has never shied away from the unusual. Even this particular interview can be termed as such: he’s preparing to receive an AI-generated “ultimate team talk” designed as the most inspirational, motivational one possible. He’s on board with taking on “unconventional” off-pitch projects if they pique his interest; after all, this is a player who has raced a Formula E car from standstill and competed against a chess master. “I do what I’m passionate about, to be honest – I like anything that brings the best out of me. I’ve had hundreds of team talks; some hit you, some don’t. The project is exciting and something I’m looking forward to.” Back to on-pitch matters, the Scouser hailed new teammates Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister as “two quality players” and the type that Liverpool “needs to continue to make”. It’s notable that even Klopp has acknowledged more needs to be done in that same area of the park and Alexander-Arnold makes the point that “the best teams have the best squads”, which probably – with still almost a month of the window left – doesn’t immediately point to Liverpool at this moment. More arrivals will likely follow. And more honing of the Reds’ newest system will take place in the meantime. Uncertainty currently reigns with regard to both. But elsewhere there’s absolute certainty: for the title or other silverware this season and for how long that summer optimism lasts, Alexander-Arnold will play the biggest and most central of roles. :: We were speaking to Trent Alexander-Arnold from Under Armour’s Human Performance Centre in Portland where he was taking part in a pre-season training camp. Trent features in Under Armour’s new Protect This House campaign, where Under Armour has used generative AI technology to create the “Ultimate Team Talk,” a motivational speech that is scientifically proven to be the most effective of all time. See www.underarmour.co.uk for more details. Read More A new era for old empires? How a summer of rebuilding could change the Premier League Liverpool left with midfield muddle – but Reds handed reason for optimism Jurgen Klopp wanted a midfield change at Liverpool – instead he got a revolution Man United join Lavia chase as midfield transfers shape the market A new era for old empires? How a summer of rebuilding could change the Premier League Liverpool transfer news: Lavia, Andre, Doucoure, Thiago and more

What the papers say The Daily Mirror reports Kevin de Bruyne is high on the list of targets Saudi Arabian clubs intend to pursue next year. The paper says Saudi Pro League club Al-Hilal’s whopping £259million bid for Kylian Mbappe was a wake-up call for the Premier League, with some sides already resigned to losing some of their best players. De Bruyne’s former Manchester City team-mate Riyad Mahrez joined Al-Ahli this summer, joining a growing list of high-profile players making the switch. Speaking of Kylian Mbappe, the Mirror also reports the 24-year-old would be prepared to spend a season in the Premier League on loan before securing his dream move to Real Madrid. The Paris St Germain and France forward’s representatives are believed to have held discreet discussions with a selection of Premier League club intermediaries – with Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool rumoured to be interested in his signature. Kasper Schmeichel is in line for a shock return to the Premier League. According to the Leicester Mercury, citing Eurosport Denmark, the 36-year-old is in discussions with Nottingham Forest over a move from French club Nice. And The Telegraph reports Chelsea are gearing up to make an improved bid for Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo. Social media round-up Players to watch Mohamed Salah: Saudi Arabian side Al-Ittihad are set to offer £51.8m for the Liverpool forward, reports Arabic publication Al Riyadiah. Tosin Adarabioyo: The Sun says the Fulham defender has rejected a proposed Tottenham move in favour of a potential transfer to Monaco. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

England boss Sarina Wiegman is confident the Lionesses are capable of getting creative should Nigeria target breakout talent Lauren James in their last-16 clash in Brisbane. Chelsea forward James was awarded player-of-the-match against China in England’s final group stage contest after contributing two goals and three assists in the 6-1 victory. Having shown the world just how dangerous she could be, it would not be a surprise if Nigeria head coach Randy Waldrum spent plenty of time planning a corresponding response to mitigate the potent threat posed by the 21-year-old. Asked if she was prepared for that to happen, England boss Sarina Wiegman grinned and said: “Well, first of all we didn’t make the starting line-up yet. “But I think some countries mark us and want to take out players. Not only one, but more players. So that’s good when you have so many good players on the pitch that they have to be aware of all those players. “And we know when players are marked that you find other ways to build or create and hopefully create chances to score goals. “So we are aware of that and we will be prepared for that.” Wiegman could be bolstered by the return of midfielder Keira Walsh, who was carried off on a stretcher late in the first half of England’s 1-0 victory over Denmark in their second group stage game. The knee injury sustained by the 2023 Champions League winner with Barcelona was not as serious as some suspected, and while Wiegman would not disclose Walsh’s specific diagnosis, the FA previously revealed it was not an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury and on Sunday the England boss also confirmed it was not a ligament issue. Walsh also stepped up her recovery on Sunday, joining the other 22 members of the England squad on the Central Coast Stadium pitch before the Lionesses flew to Brisbane ahead of their first match of the knockout stage. On the eve of the Nigeria clash, Wiegman said: “She is doing well. She started her rehab straight after we knew what was going on. “She has been on the pitch, she has been training today. Now we will wait until (we see) how she recovers from that training session and if she does well then she is available tomorrow.” The 2023 World Cup saw the tournament expand to 32 teams for the first time, with some initially worried that the gap between the top and lower-ranked nations would be detrimental. Yet the reality has so far been the opposite, with four of FIFA’s top 10 sides already eliminated including double-defending champions USA, who crashed out after losing a dramatic penalty shootout to Sweden. Number two side and Euro 2022 finalists Germany, number seven Olympic champions Canada, and Copa America winners Brazil, ranked eighth, have all been eliminated. Those giant-slayings – Canada’s at the hands of 40th-ranked Nigeria – also marked the last likely World Cup appearances for icons and pioneers in Brazil’s Marta, Canada’s Christine Sinclair and the USA’s Megan Rapinoe, who missed a penalty against Sweden and announced pre-tournament that she would be retiring at the end of the 2023 National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) season. Wiegman added: “It is very, very competitive. The development of the game all over the world has gone really quickly, at a very good level. “But I’m mainly focused on my team and on the next match with my team, so I’m not into every game. I don’t have the full context, but that’s the main thing I have noticed.”

One of the most experienced and dependable names in Sarina Wiegman’s Lionesses squad, Alex Greenwood might have been expected to start at left-back after Rachel Daly’s devastating season up front for Aston Villa meant her moving out of the defensive position she held throughout the last year’s triumphant Euros campaign. But with injuries ruling out Leah Williamson, Wiegman may prefer to deploy Greenwood through the centre and place Jess Carter at full-back, an uncertainty the Liverpudlian says does not concern her, insisting she is equally comfortable in either position. A dead-ball specialist as well as a no-nonsense defensive stalwart, Greenwood, 29, began her career at Northfield in Liverpool before being selected by Everton aged eight to enter the club’s Centre of Excellence. She eventually broke into the first team at 17 in 2010 and was named FA Young Player of the Year in 2012 before leaving with a heavy heart when the Toffees were relegated in 2014. Thereafter playing for Notts County, Liverpool and Manchester United – captaining the latter in their inaugural Championship-winning season in 2018/19 – she then moved to the all-conquering Lyon in France for a season, picking up the Champions League and three domestic honours, before (controversially) finding a permanent home at former rivals Manchester City in 2020. Greenwood has also picked up 75 senior England caps in that time, captaining the side in this year’s Arnold Clark Cup tie against Italy, and is otherwise known as an outspoken advocate for the women’s game, unafraid to speak frankly about the “draining” misogynistic abuse she and her teammates have been subjected to on social media. Get all the latest Women’s World Cup odds here Read More How to watch England vs Nigeria: TV channel and start time for Women’s World Cup fixture When do England play next? Women’s World Cup fixtures and route to the final Women’s football world rankings: Who could take No 1 at the World Cup?

Despite being a Manchester City fan so committed to the club that she had pet goldfish named Shaun Goater and Nicolas Anelka as a child, Keira Walsh was also a keen student of “tiki-taka”-era Barcelona growing up in Rochdale, admiring the total control demonstrated by Pep Guardiola’s sides through elegant possession football. These days, Pep is managing City and it is Walsh herself sitting at the heart of Barca’s midfield. She made that move last summer for a world record fee after starring for the Lionesses at Euro 2022, pulling the strings at the centre of the park like another of her idols, David Silva, always knowing precisely when to play the killer pass. There was no finer example of this than the perfectly-weighted long ball she dinked into Ella Toone for England’s opener against Germany in the final, for which she was deservingly named player of the match. Another famed instance of Walsh’s artistry in action came at the SheBelieves Cup in Japan in 2019, when she played in Beth Mead with a pass that took out no fewer than eight separate opposition players in one move, a clip of which swiftly went viral. Her performances during the Euros inspired French journalist Julien Laurens to hail her as “the best player in the world”, an accolade that will place renewed pressure on her to stamp her authority on the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand this summer. However, a nasty-looking injury sustained in England’s second group game against Denmark saw her carried from the field on a stretcher, potentially bringing her tournament to a premature end. Walsh, now 26, abandoned youthful passions for badminton and cricket to commit to football, emerging from Blackburn Rovers’ youth system before transferring to her beloved City in 2014, where she made 118 appearances and became known to the club’s Oasis-besotted fans as “WonderWalsh” in tribute to her dependable presence. Former teammate Jill Scott, incidentally, has said her nickname among the Lionesses is “Sat Nav Foot” for the extraordinary precision of her passing. For England, Walsh has effortlessly succeeded Fara Williams in central midfield, having been handed the captain’s armband in just her seventh outing for the Lionesses, aged 21, and is no doubt the first name on Sarina Wiegman’s team sheet these days. Read More How to watch England vs Nigeria: TV channel and start time for Women’s World Cup fixture Who do England women play next? World Cup fixtures and route to the final Women’s football world rankings: Who could take No 1 at the World Cup?

Manchester United goalkeeper Mary Earps, affectionately known as “Mearps”, may now be firmly ensconced as England’s number one after her heroic displays at the Euros – and impassioned leadership of the table-dancing celebrations that followed – but her chances of even being part of the squad once looked remote. Prior to the arrival of Sarina Wiegman as England manager in September 2021, Earps believed her form was so poor she might never return to the national team, having made her debut against Switzerland in 2017 but received only a handful of caps thereafter before falling out of favour. While Earps went on to win the Fifa ‘Best’ award following the Euros, it was not long after she had considered quitting the game altogether. “I can vividly remember the days of feeling really down and I’d sort of reached my limits and given it a good go but I just wasn’t quite good enough. I had responsibilities, I had a mortgage and it wasn’t adding up,” she told the BBC earlier this year. Get all the latest Women’s World Cup odds here “Eventually I decided ‘OK, I’ll give it a couple more years…’ And then Sarina came in and life changed, literally like that. I felt like she really understood where I came from and had empathy for me as a human being. Not something I’ve experienced a lot in football over the years. I like her directness, her honesty.” Originally from Nottingham, Earps, now 30, was spotted playing for West Bridgford Colts by Leicester City and was taken into its youth academy but never made a senior appearance, moving on to Nottingham Forest and then Doncaster Rovers Belles, where she briefly established herself before being sent out on loan to Coventry City without playing. Spells with Birmingham City, Bristol Academy and Reading followed – during which period she completed a business studies degree at Loughborough University – and then a move to Frauen-Bundesliga champions Wolfsburg before she finally found a permanent home at United in 2019. Now one of the most confident performers in the squad thanks to Wiegman’s encouragement, the shift in Earps’ self-esteem was evident in her reaction to narrowly failing to save Brazil’s first penalty in April’s Finalissima shootout, the keeper remembering in an interview this month: “In that moment, I’m thinking: ‘Is this going to be how my day is going to go? I’m going to be close, but not close enough?’ “I said to myself: ‘No chance. This is mine – and I’m having it.’” Read More How to watch England vs Nigeria: TV channel and start time for Women’s World Cup fixture When do England play next? Women’s World Cup fixtures and route to the final Women’s football world rankings: Who could take No 1 at the World Cup?