BETHANY ENGLAND has no regrets about her “big risk” decision to leave Chelsea for Tottenham.
Her switch in January has paid off with the Spurs ace back in the Lionesses’ fold before the Women’s World Cup.
The WSL ace joined her international team-mates starting training this week before the team’s final friendlies and World Cup opener against Haiti on July 22.
Reflecting on her reaction to getting back in the squad, England said: “I tried to play it nice and cool but I hung up the phone and screamed my house down.
“The first thing I did was ring my mum and my partner.
“Obviously I was elated, it’s been a long time since I’ve been back in this environment.
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“It’s just a pleasure to be back here wearing the badge and I’m just excited for the summer.”
England’s return to the national side follows a season that began with her struggling for a starting spot and more game time at the Blues.
The striker, who scooped the PFA’s women’s player of the year award in 2020, made just two starts in appearances for the WSL champions.
This coincided with her omission from Sarina Wiegman’s squad for friendly fixtures in October and November including a 2-1 win against the USA eight months ago.
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The Euros winner was also left out of squads that won this year’s Arnold Clark Cup and beat Brazil on penalties in the Women’s Finalissima.
England added: “It’s difficult being part of the highs of winning the Euros (last year), to being in a camp to then not being involved for knocking up to 10 months now.
“It has been a difficult change and it’s hard because I’m seeing the team winning the Finalissma, the Arnold Clark Cup and that’s all moments I want to be a part of.
“But equally that’s the decision that was made, that’s life.
“Not everything goes your way. You can only control what you can control.
“All I could do was go to Spurs, make sure that I worked hard, trained hard and put in the performances on game day and I think I very much did that.”
Since her move after seven years at Chelsea, for a reported British transfer record fee of £250,000, England has shone for Tottenham.
At times the team flirted with relegation last term with former boss Rehanne Skinner sacked after a run of nine successive losses
However England’s 12 goals in 12 games helped Spurs win their WSL survival fight whilst paving the way for the striker’s Lionesses recall.
And her displays saw her finish as the third highest scorer in the league last term behind Khadija Shaw and Golden Boot winner Rachel Daly.
England said: “It was a big risk, I’d been at Chelsea for seven years, that was a big part of my professional career.
“I didn’t really like the thought of change and it all happened so quickly.
“I could have stayed at Chelsea, I could have stayed on the bench in my comfort zone.
“But then I’d have been watching other people going out there to Australia (to the World Cup) when I know that it’s something I would have regretted looking back on.
“At the back of my mind the World Cup was creeping up and I’d not been selected for a couple of camps leading into Christmas.
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“Every player wants to be part of these big moments representing your country, going to big tournaments
“Change can be scary and I’ve never dealt well with change but luckily I hit the ground running and I’m just thankful that it turned out well.”
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
