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    ‘The girls all want to be the next Alessia Russo’, says Manchester United ace’s former coach Colin Whitfield

    ALESSIA RUSSO has been at the centre of some boundary breaking football moments. From scoring during the Lionesses’ Euros triumph to netting a winner that saw Manchester United become the first WSL side to beat Arsenal at the Emirates in November.
    Alessia Russo’s former coach at Bearsted FC says the player’s efforts has led to more girls coming to train at the clubCredit: PA
    Whitfield recalls Russo scoring 76 goals in one season during her spell playing for Bearsted FC’s Under-10s sideCredit: Getty
    That stoppage-time header may have given the Gunners food for thought with the club reportedly making a world-record £500,000 bid for the 23-year-old,  which was rejected by United. 
    In March 2021 — five months after returning to fitness following a hamstring injury — Russo vowed to let her football “do the talking”. 
    She has done just that, contributing to the Red Devils’ title charge with five goals in nine WSL games so far this term as well as nine in 22 top tier appearances last season. 
    United are currently top of the table on goal difference from Chelsea ahead of today’s clash with Everton at 12midday.

    And Russo could potentially be a key figure in England’s World Cup campaign in the summer. 
    With her contract with United set to expire this year aside from the Red Devils other top clubs in Europe and the USA are thought to be chasing her signature. 
    One individual who is backing Russo to achieve more on the pitch is grassroots football Colin Whitfield
    The coach spotted the forward’s talent at Bearsted FC, the Kent-based club where she started playing at age six or seven. 
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    Of the Maidstone-born forward’s efforts for the club playing for their Under-10s, Whitfield said: “From the outset she was a phenomenal player. 
    “She was quick, she had quick feet, she would just sort of glide past players as if they weren’t there. 
    “Her shooting was just incredible. I remember when we played Crystal Palace in a match and she scored from the halfway line. 
    “It was mini soccer, so it was like a 30-yard shot, but she could score from anywhere. 
    “The season that she first played for us in our Under-10s, she scored 76 goals. 
    “These days she scores quite a few with her head — none of those 76 were headers!
    “She really was determined, and obviously gave up pretty much all of her time to the sport.”
    Whitfield, who played a leading role in establishing girls’ football teams at Bearsted, has watched Russo’s rise with pride. 
    He is also among those keen to see finances flourish in the women’s game — particularly in the transfer market. 
    Whitfield added: “It’s great to see the finances in the women’s game have started to creep up, and I say creep because they’re nowhere near the level of the men’s game. 
    “Personally, I’d rather watch the women play
    “I also think where Alessia’s concerned with the price tag, if it was ten years from now, I’m sure it would be a lot higher and I hope that’s the way that things will go. 
    “But she’s an extraordinary talent.
    “There are some talented footballers out there, but it’s unusual to get one that is so good with their feet, so good with their head, just an outstanding all-rounder.”
    According to Whitfield Bearsted FC had multiple girls teams during the time Russo was playing for their junior side.
    But as these players grew older, with some making the move to youth sides and women’s football development squads, the number of girls’ teams at Bearsted started to decline. 
    But Whitfield says the club, based in Maidstone, has seen a surge in interest in girls wanting to play football following the Lionesses’ Euros win last July.
    Alessia has inspired lots of people, not just at Bearsted. There’s a real sense of excitement. Colin Whitfield
    He also believes Russo’s success has benefitted Bearsted FC’s efforts to have a floodlit 3G pitch and training built for their players. 
    Whitfield says at present the club are paying £25,000 a year in fees to hire playing and training facilities for their teams.
    The club hopes to raise 20 per cent of the funds required to have a training area installed for their sides.
    Whitfield added: “With the girls, we had quite a few at the time Alessia was playing, but it petered out for a while.
    “When some of the players on my girls’ teams turned 18 and got into women’s football, there were no players coming up behind them.
    “We had a seven-year gap in the club with no girls teams
     “It’s great the current girls have started up and reinvented the girls’ side of the game in the club.
    “The girls in particular all want to be the next Alessia Russo.
    “She has inspired lots of people, not just at Bearsted. There’s a real sense of excitement. 
    “Off the back of her success, I can’t see it ever disappearing.
    Man United will be aiming for a win against Everton to maintain their spot at the top of the WSLCredit: PA
    “There’s so much interest from the girls. And that side of the game is really growing at the club
    “Before the Women’s Euros we put an application in for a floodlit 3G training area and that’s never really come into fruition 
    “But post-Euros the local councils and the Kent FA are really sort of pushing for that work to go ahead.
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    “At the moment the club are paying £25,000 a year in fees for for hiring facilities for the teams to use.
    “To be able have one of our own that we can use for our teams and also let the wider community use would be phenomenal.” More

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    Tickets sell out for Finalissma clash between England and Brazil with rivals set for pre-World Cup test

    TICKETS for the Lionesses’ clash with Brazil at Wembley have sold out with the match set to attract a huge crowd.The Euros winners will take on the eight-time Copa America champions in April in the first-ever Women’s Finalissima.   
    Sarina Wiegman’s Lionesses will test themselves against Copa America Feminina champions Brazil in AprilCredit: PA
    Brazil are currently ranked the ninth best international side in the worldCredit: AFP
    The contest between England and Brazil on April 6 will see the two sides go head to head three months before they compete in this summer’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
    The game could see Arsenal centre-backs Leah Williamson and Rafaelle Souza play against each other in an international fixture for the first time since the Brazil ace’s Gunners move last January. 
    Last July Sarina Wiegman’s stars set a new record for a crowd turnout at a Euros final when they beat Germany 2-1.
    A total of 87,192 fans flocked to Wembley for that clash – the highest attendance at a European Championship final to date in the women’s and men’s game. 
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    And England’s friendly against the United States at the stadium was the highest attended friendly match in US women’s football history.
    A crowd of 76,893 turned out to watch Wiegman’s side beat the USA 2-1 last October.
    Tickets for the game sold out less than 24 hours after going on sale.  
    The Women’s Finalissima will take place three months after the first title tussle in the WSL between Arsenal and league leaders Chelsea. 
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    And the Gunners could be on course to set a new record they for the largest crowd turnout at a WSL fixture. 
    Arsenal’s WSL game against Chelsea at the Emirates on January 15 could see crowd turnout of at least 40,000Credit: Getty
    Arsenal have so far sold 40,000 tickets for their derby clash with the Blues at the Emirates this Sunday at midday. 
    The record for the highest number of fans attending a Women’s Super League game stands at 47,367.
    This was set when the Gunners beat Tottenham 4-0 at the stadium last September. More

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    Sarina Wiegman says players at women’s game’s highest levels ‘need proper rest’ amid injuries across top tiers

    SARINA WIEGMAN insists player welfare should come first when it comes to fixture schedules and the load put on elite women’s aces physically and mentally. And the Lionesses chief aims to take the form of her Euros winners to the next stage in order to topple their World Cup rivals.
    Sarina Wiegman says plays at the top levels of the women’s game should be given time for ‘a proper rest’ amid a rising number of injuriesCredit: PA
    The Lionesses boss was in the stands at the Emirates during a Champions League game in which Vivianne Miedema ruptured a knee ligamentCredit: PA
    Wiegman was sharing her thoughts with reporters a day before attending Arsenal’s Champions League duel with Lyon last Thursday.
    The England boss was watching the match from the stands when her Dutch compatriot Vivianne Miedema was stretchered off after a knee injury in the first half.
    Yesterday Arsenal confirmed the Gunners forward had ruptured her anterior cruciate ligament after landing awkwardly close to half-time.
    The injury saw the Dutch star, who won the 2017 Euros with the Netherlands under Wiegman, join a growing list of elite players across Europe currently sidelined by injuries.
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    They include Miedema’s Gunners team-mate Beth Mead. 
    The forward, shortlisted for the BBC’s Sports Personality of Year Award, sustained an ACL injury in November, four months after helping England to Euros triumph. 
    Wiegman said: “I really feel for Beth. Everyone who gets an ACL (injury) you feel for them. 
    “She did so well, she was in such a good place. I just hope she will recover. 
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    “It’s too early to say whether she will be (available for the World Cup).
    “We just take it easy now, (let her) first recover, and then over the next months we’ll see how it will develop. 
    “She has to become fit again, taking care of herself.
    “She knows she has all the support from Arsenal and all the support from us and the FA.”
    The injury to Miedema comes just under a month after the Arsenal forward called for Fifa and Uefa to listen to the concerns of players regarding their workloads. 
    When asked if match schedules is something that needs looking at Wiegman added: “In general, for the top, top level players, the schedule is too much. 
    “Some will have (to play in) five consecutive (international) tournaments in a row including the 2024 Olympics. 
    “The level of the game has improved and so the load on players physically and mentally – and you can’t split that because we are all human beings – does ask so much of them. 
    “The growth has gone so quickly so players also need a proper rest to get things settled down and (at present) they don’t have that rest. 
    “After the Euro’s for example, the Manchester City players only had a couple of days off because they went into the Champions League round again. 
    “That is not good. You can have that sometimes, but they need a rest. 
    “They need some rest just to get some headspace and get their heads and bodies right. 
    “I think Fifa, Uefa and the federations just need to do a little better job and all think of the players.”
    Wiegman hopes to see Beth Mead recover from her knee ligament injury and says the forward has her supportCredit: AP
    Next summer will be the third consecutive one in which a major international women’s football tournament takes place with the upcoming World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. 
    It follows a year that has seen the profile of women’s football rise with 365 million people worldwide tuning in to watch the Euros this July. 
    Some of the international players from Europe’s top divisions sidelined by long-term injuries before the World Cup include Spain’s Alexia Putellas and France duo Marie-Antoinette Katoto and Griedge Mbock.
    Germany’s Guilia Gwinn, Norway’s Ada Hegerberg and United States ace Catarina Macario are also among a number of pros currently crocked.
    Wiegman said: “The game is also becoming a more professional game so the commercial part of it is an important one too. 
    France forward Marie-Antoinette Katoto is among a number of top players in Europe currently sidelined with an ACL injuryCredit: AFP
    “We need to put the players first. But if there are no commercial parties, how do we make a living and then you have a choice of whether you are a professional footballer anymore. 
    “It is (about) finding the balance and finding the best way. I think we can do a better job and give players a little more rest.”
    Next summer will see Wiegman’s Lionesses kick-off their quest to become the first England Women’s side to win a World Cup
    Players from the squad, set to be selected by Wiegman next year, will play their first group stage game in Brisbane Australia on July 22. 
    Wiegman reckons her team, currently ranked the fourth best in the world,  will need to take their game to the next level
    We’re always looking at players. The door is not closed for anyone playing at a top level.England Women’s boss Sarina Wiegman
    The team are unbeaten run under their boss with 26 games without a loss since last September.  
    The England chief added: “At the beginning of the tournament, because of the amount of countries that join in the groups, it will be a little bit different, 
    “But when you get further in the level is going to be so high, with different styles of play, different coaches, which is exciting and challenging. 
    Wiegman and her England players will begin their push to win the World Cup on July 22 with Denmark and China among their three group stage rivalsCredit: PA
    “But we have to take our game to the next stage, to make the chance of being successful as high as possible.”
    Wiegman admits her door for selection is open to players performing consistently at a ‘top level’ 
    And the head coach says she and her team have been keeping an eye on Manchester City’s Laura Coombs.
    The midfielder has netted four goals in nine WSL games with City going ten 10 games unbeaten across all contests since a loss to Chelsea in September.
    The player has made two senior Lionesses appearances with the first occurring England’s 2-1 defeat of China back in 2015.
    Wiegman said: “We look at Laura almost every week because she plays every week and, yes, we also see that she’s doing a good job
    “It’s all about quality, what do we need in the team. We’re always looking at players. 
    “With some positions, we have a lot of depth, in others not as much. It’s always open. 
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    Man City’s Laura Coombs is among the players Sarina Wiegman has been watching this seasonCredit: Getty
    “It’s all about talent and performing. showing up for your club team first.
    “The door is not closed for anyone playing at a top level.” More

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    Sarina Wiegman says attraction of managing another ‘big football country’ shaped England boss job move

    SARINA WIEGMAN revealed she mulled over whether she would be able to leave the Netherlands when the chance to manage the Lionesses arose. The head coach, 53, said the lure of managing in another ‘big football’ nation was among the draws that attracted her to the role.
    Sarina Wiegman says she took classes on English football as part for her preparation to coach the LionessesCredit: Getty
    Wiegman and her players have their sights set on World Cup success after their triumph in the Euros in JulyCredit: AFP
    Wiegman was speaking a day after a number of pundits, journalists and football fans engaged in debate on whether a manager of England national football side needs to be English. 
    Debate had arisen amid reports regarding Gareth Southgate’s future after the Three Lions boss led his side the Qatar World Cup quarter-finals this month.
    On Tuesday football pundit Jamie Carragher shared his opinion that gaffers of the national team should be English. 
    Meanwhile some fans have highlighted Wiegman, who led the Lionesses to a Women’s Euros crown, as an example of a coach from overseas succeeding as an England national team boss . 
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    When asked if her nationality was a factor in her decision to take up her role Wiegman said: “I thought about it when I first got in contact with England when they reached out to me. 
    “I was head coach of the Netherlands, but my first thought was. ‘can I leave the Netherlands [as a country], I grew up there, it’s my country’
    “Most of the time when some people reach out to me to ask if I’m interested in a job, after a couple of days it would just fade ‘no I’m going to stay with the Netherlands’. 
    “But this one stuck with me. This is very exciting.
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    “It’s a big country, England is a big football country with the WSL and the potential of the (national) team, so I started to have conversations.”
    Since her appointment last September, Wiegman led the Lionesses on a 26-game unbeaten run with England winning their first major trophy in the team’s 50-year history this July. 
    Their silverware success came five years after the Netherlands-born head coach guided the Dutch national women’s team to a Euros Championship win on home soil
    On her efforts to adapt to English culture after agreeing up her role, Wiegman added: “Although the countries are really close together there are some differences in culture, so I really tried to learn. 
    The success of the WSL and the challenge of managing of a ‘big football country’ were factors that led Wiegman to take on her jobCredit: Getty
    “I took some English classes in football. I said I will learn about your culture and try to adapt to your culture  but also bring the directness as you have to know what is good
    “I will not go around it or change that. 
    “I think it went really well and we really enjoyed ourselves.
    “I think the FA and the players and staff enjoy it too and we have a very good collaboration. We can still grow a lot.” More

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    England Lionesses hero Ellen White announces she is pregnant five months after famous Euro triumph

    FORMER England star Ellen White has announced she is pregnant with her first child.The 33-year-old, who retired from football weeks after winning the Euros, revealed the news on Twitter.
    Ellen White won the Euros with England in the summerCredit: PA
    The Lionesses beat Germany 2-1 in a dramatic final in front of a packed WembleyCredit: AFP
    White announced the news on TwitterCredit: Twitter @ellsbells89
    White, England’s all-time top women’s scorer, posted a photo of her and her husband holding the Euros trophy.
    The photo was with a captain that read: “Mum and Dad. April 2023.”
    Following the news, she received floods of messages from some of her former clubs and team-mates.
    Casey Stoney said: “Huge congratulations to you both ❤️.”
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    Lauren Hemp, who started the Euros final, responded: “Woweee mumma ells 😍.”
    One fan said: “BABY ELLEN WHITE OH MY GOD EVERYONE STAY CALM.”
    A second admitted: “Can’t describe how happy I am for Ellen white❤️❤️ what a brilliant year she’s had 😊 #ellenwhite.”
    The ex-striker scored 52 goals for her country, the last of those coming in the 8-0 win over Norway in the Euros.
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    But White called time on her 17-year career less than one month after the victory over Germany.
    She played for Chelsea, Leeds, Arsenal, Notts County, Birmingham and most recently Manchester City, winning 10 major trophies. More

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    England’s Lionesses’ staggeringly low wages compared to male team revealed including bonuses

    ENGLAND’s women may be European champions but they earn a pittance compared to their male counterparts.The Lionesses’ bonus for winning Euro 2022 was just £55,000 per player.
    Leah Williamson is amongst England’s highest earners on £200,00 a yearCredit: Getty
    Sarina Wiegman earns a reported £400,000 a yearCredit: Getty
    The men’s team were paid £300,000 for reaching the final of Euro 2020 – winning the tournament would have led to a £460,000 payout.
    Players for both the men and women’s team are paid £2,000 for each England appearance, with England men donating this fee to charity.
    But that’s where the equality ends.
    A BBC study claims WSL players earn £47,000 a year on average while the average wage of a Premier League player is £60,000 A WEEK.
    There are some higher earners amongst the Lionesses, such as captain Leah Williamson who earns a reported £200,000 a year.
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    Right-back Lucy Bronze was believed to be on a similar wage at Manchester City before her transfer to Barcelona this summer.
    Williamson could earn more from her off-field partnerships, which includes deals with Nike, Pepsi, and most recently fashion designer Gucci.

    Beth Mead is also thought to have built her £413,000 fortune mainly from sponsorship deals – as she only earns £25,000 a year at Arsenal.
    Lioness boss Sarina Wiegman is the best paid of all on a reported £400k-a-year salary.
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    Wiegman was paid £200,000 as a bonus for winning the Euros and is set to be rewarded again in the form of a new contract.
    But pay could increase as a result of the tournament’s success, which saw a record attendance for any Euros game at Wembley for the final.
    Attracting sponsors such as Visa, Heineken, Lego and Pepsi helped increase UEFA’s revenue stream by £25-£33m per year, report the BBC.
    And those figures are only going to increase as the women’s game continues to grow in popularity. More

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    Clare Balding backs Lionesses to build on Euros glory and hails ‘fierce competitiveness’ of female sports stars

    CLARE BALDING believes England have a good chance of besting their Women’s World Cup rivals following their Euros triumph.And the sports broadcaster praised the “fierce competitiveness” of the country’s top female athletes.
    Hannah Cockroft (pictured with Tokyo Paralympic Games silver medallist Kare Adenegan) is one of six 2022 BT Sport Action Woman nomineesCredit: PA
    Beth Mead has also been nominated for this year’s BT Sport Action Woman of the Year AwardCredit: AP
    Tonight, Balding will host the 2022 BT Sport Action Woman of the Year Award, with the event now in its tenth year.
    Three of the six nominees in contention are Scottish long-distance runner Eilish McColgan, 31, Euros winner Beth Mead, 27, and record-breaking wheelchair racer Hannah Cockroft.
    And Winter Olympic curling gold medallist Eve Muirhead, 32, diver Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix, 18, and UFC heroine Molly McCann, 32, make up this year’s other individual nominees.
    Balding, 51, who hosts her sports chat show on BT Sport and BBC Two said: “What I’m really pleased about is the breadth of sports that are represented.
    “I think it’s the first time we’ve had a UFC fighter on the list, two from athletics, one from football, one from diving, and one from curling.
    “It shows you what an extraordinary year we’ve had for women’s sport.
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    “In the past, we’ve seen such a range of winners.
    “It’s lovely to be spoilt for choice as to who you’re going to put on the list and to have some sports that do get a lot of press coverage and others that don’t.
    “And that’s where I think it’s still important to celebrate these achievements and to showcase what women are capable of and what they’ve been doing.”
    2022 has been a standout year for women’s sports with the triumphs and performances of a number of national teams and individual athletes.
    This year saw England’s Red Roses notch up 30 successive wins
    And they battled their way to the Rugby World Cup final before falling to defeat to New Zealand’s Black Ferns in front of a record 42,579 crowd at Auckland’s Eden Park.
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    In football, the Lionesses made history by winning the Euros for the first time with Mead claiming the Golden Boot by finishing as the tournament’s joint-top scorer with five goals in six games.
    And England’s 2-1 defeat of Germany at Wembley in July was watched by an 87,192-strong crowd, breaking the attendance record for any European Championship final.
    Elsewhere McColgan clinched gold and silver medals in the 10,000 and 5,000-metre races at the Commonwealth Games.
    Eilish McColgan won silver in the Commonwealth Games 5000m and emulated her mother Liz by winning gold in the 10,000m raceCredit: PA
    And Cockcroft, 30, triumphed in the T33/34 100m race at the Games.
    This saw her add to her tally of seven Paralympic gold medal wins, 11 World Championship triumphs, and three European Championship golds.
    And Balding believes the success of Cockroft and her fellow nominees has helped to evolve perceptions of femininity in sport.
    She added: “These women talk so well about what good teamwork is.
    “And for the individual athletes coming to my mind, Hannah Cockcroft has taken wheelchair racing to a whole new level.
    “Her training regime, her fierce competitiveness, and the way she talks about that, I think that’s really important for girls to understand we are allowed to be competitive; it is still feminine.
    Hannah Cockroft’s win at this year’s Commonwealth Games saw her add to her Paralympic, European, and World Championship triumphsCredit: Alamy
    “That understanding of what is feminine is so broadened and enriched by the way these women can talk about what they do.”
    This evening awards ceremony which commences at 8:00 pm comes eight months ahead of Sarina Wiegman’s Lionesses kicking off their quest to become the first England Women’s side to win a World Cup.
    This year saw the Lionesses beat Germany, Japan, and the USA, three nations that have won the tournament in the past thirteen years.
    “We know they (the Lionesses) can give the USA a game and they have done recently, so they can beat the best in the worldClare Balding
    Balding said: “I think with England the belief and the ability are there. Let’s hope everyone’s face stays fit and healthy.
    “We know they can give the USA a game and they have done recently, so they can beat the best in the world.
    “In the past at World Cups, it hasn’t quite clicked but I do think Sarina Wiegman is an outstanding coach.
    “They believe in her and that carries a lot of weight.
    Sarina Wiegman and England will begin their bid to reach the 2023 World Cup final with a group D opener on July 22 in Brisbane, AustraliaCredit: EPA
    “She makes the right decisions and explains what she’s doing for them as a team.
    “It’s like when you have your favourite teacher at school who will always bring the best out in you
    “I think Sarina Wiegman has that as a coach and they will perform up a level for her. That gives them a really good chance.”
    Clare Balding is hosting the 2022 BT Sport Action Woman of the Year Awards live on BT Sport tonight at 8:00 pm. For more details visit btsport.com/actionwoman More

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    ‘Sky is the limit for Beth’ – England icon Ellen White hails Mead after Lioness wins BBC Women’s Footballer gong

    ELLEN WHITE is backing Beth Mead to rack up more goals after the Arsenal forward was voted the BBC’s Women’s Footballer of the Year.The England forward’s prize win comes four months after she helped the Lionesses to European Championship triumph at Wembley.
    Ellen White presented Beth Mead with her BBC Women’s Footballer of the Year awardCredit: Getty
    White is backing her former Lionesses team-mate to net more goals for club and countryCredit: Reuters
    The WSL star, 27, who has notched 29 goals in 49 England appearances, finished as the tournament’s top scorer – netting six times across six games.
    And the contest’s Golden Boot winner also finished second behind Alexia Putellas, 28, at this year’s Women’s Ballon d’Or.
    Lionesses record scorer White, 33, who retired after winning the Euros alongside Mead, told BBC Sport: “I think she can go on to score so many goals for England, the sky is the limit for her.
    “What she’s achieved in her career so far, and her development, the way that she’s so focused on her performance, and what she’s doing at Arsenal, I think it’s incredible and it bodes well for the England team.”
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    Reflecting on her contribution to the Lionesses’ first major trophy win, Mead said: “Playing in your own country in those types of competitions, it’s what you dream of.
    “To come away and win it was incredible and I think a feeling that will live with us for our lifetimes.”
    Mead finished as the third-highest scorer in the Women’s Super League last season with 11 goals in 22 appearances for title-runners-up Arsenal.
    The forward’s impressive form has carried on into this season, bagging three goals and three assists in six WSL games for the league leaders.
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    Mead’s award came two days after Ella Toone won the WSL Women’s Player of the Year gong at the North West Football Awards.
    This Friday could see Mead start for England when Sarina Wiegman’s side play the first of their last two international friendlies for this year.
    The Lionesses will take on 2011 World Cup winners Japan, a team who they have beaten three times in five games dating back to July 2015.
    They then face Norway on Tuesday for the first time since they thrashed them 8-0 at the Amex during the Euros – when Mead netted a hat-trick.  
    Both games will kick off at 7pm at the Pinatar Arena in Murcia in Spain and are live on ITV4.
    England are due to play Japan who are ranked the 11th best team in the worldCredit: Getty More