Women’s Super League

BETH MEAD and Millie Turner are to join the Lionesses at St George’s Park ahead of England’s friendly against Northern Ireland. 
The Arsenal and Man United duo have been drafted in following injuries to Chelsea’s Millie Bright and Fran Kirby. 

Beth Mead, 25, has been called up to England Women’s squad ahead of their match against Northern IrelandCredit: Getty Images – Getty

Manchester United defender Millie Turner, 24, will join the Lionesses’ training campCredit: Rex Features

The FA says Bright, 27, has withdrawn from the national team’s training camp and will return to her club for treatment. 
And her Blues team-mate Kirby, who won February’s WSL Player of the Month award, is thought to have picked up a minor injury during Chelsea’s 5-0 win against Bristol City. 
It means that Kirby, 27, – who has been on fire for the champions netting 11 goals in 12 games – has been ruled out of England’s game against Northern Ireland. 
And it could see Mead, who was a surprise omission from interim coach Hege Riise’s squad list, in line to receive her 26th cap. 

England Women’s coach, Hege Riise said: “Millie Turner and Beth Mead now have an excellent opportunity to impress me and my coaching team on this camp and we look forward to welcoming them here.  
“Being resilient, adaptable and versatile is what we are all about and it is a privilege to be working with such a talented and ambitious group of players.
“We always knew this would be a complex camp, but we are delighted to have a fixture against Northern Ireland to prepare ourselves for this week and I have been very impressed by the spirit and determination I have witnessed from our players in camp so far.” 

Fran Kirby picked up a slight injury during Chelsea’s 5-0 away win against Bristol CityCredit: Represented by ZUMA Press, Inc.

England will be up against a Northern Ireland side on the verge of making history following their impressive run in the Euro 2022 qualifiers.

Should they be successful in their play-offs Kenny Shiels’ squad could become the first Northern Ireland women’s side to reach a major international tournament. 
A recent spate of injuries means Shiels has had to name a youthful squad ahead of their clash with the Lionesses at St George’s Park. 
And the Northern Ireland boss will be without several key figures who helped his team beat the Faroe Islands 5-1 in their final Euros group stage match. 
Injured players include Glasgow Rangers duo Demi Vance and Megan Bell and siblings Kirsty and Caitlin McGuiness. 
But Shiels, who has been linked with the vacant Team GB women’s football coach role, wants his players to use the experience to help their Euros play-off chances. 

Kenny Shiels wants Northern Ireland to use their game against England as preparation for their Euro 2022 play-offsCredit: Press Eye Ltd
Shiels said: “We’re not saying we can go and beat England. We’re saying we can go and learn from England. 
“That’s the whole message to the players. We have to have realism.
“We will give England as good and as competitive a game as we can but more importantly it will help us with our play-offs when they come.”
 Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds

Lionesses in training More

SANDY MACIVER is enjoying the battle to be England’s first-choice stopper after being tipped for the top by Everton boss Willie Kirk.  
And the Toffees ace hailed the influence of Carly Telford and Karen Bardsley ahead of the Lionesses’ match against Northern Ireland. 

Sandy MacIver is part of a 22-player squad taking part in an England Women’s training campCredit: Alamy Live News

MacIver, 22, is facing competition for an England starting place from Ellie Roebuck and Hannah HamptonCredit: Focus Images

MacIver is one of a trio of top-flight keepers included in interim head coach Hege Riise’s England squad. 
And at 22 the Everton player is the oldest of the three who include Man City starlet Ellie Roebuck, and Birmingham’s Hannah Hampton, both 21. 
MacIver said: “To be able to push myself alongside two really good goalkeepers in Ellie and Hannah just shows the strength of the group and I think the three of us pushing on now is only going to help us.
“They have had different experiences from what I’ve had and I think together we’ll be able to support each other and push each other on.  

“Ultimately at the end of the day, whoever plays in any game is always going to have the support of the other two.”
MacIver knows she is facing stiff competition from her top-flight rivals.
Like Hampton, the Everton ace has kept four clean sheets in the league so far this term, with Golden Gloves winner Roebuck racking up five. 
And the Winsford-born keeper believes her experience of competing with Toffees team-mate Tinja-Riika Korpela has been beneficial in preparing her push for an England spot. 

Roebuck, 21, has kept five clean sheets for 13 league games for Manchester City this termCredit: PA:Press Association

MacIver added: “I’m very fortunate that at Everton I work with Tinja-Riikka Korpela who is a very experienced goalkeeper who has played at Bayern Munich and many caps for Finland. 
“When you’re able to go into training each day and really know you have to put 100 or 110 per cent into everything you do, there’s no room for slack.
“When you then go away into a national team environment, there’s no having to make a step up. 
“And I think with the current situation with the goalkeepers for England, everyone has got just as good a chance as everyone else, and I think when you see there is a number one shirt up for grabs, it does make things more exciting.” 
MacIver, who carried the Olympic torch in Chester ahead of the London 2012 games, is eyeing this month’s England training camp as a chance to stake her claim for a Team GB spot. 
It will be the second time in history that Britain’s team will take a women’s football squad to the games with the delayed Tokyo 2020 Olympics due to take place this year. 
And MacIver believes her experience of learning from the likes of Chelsea veteran Carly Telford and Man City ace Karen Bardsley has been vital for her development. 
The Everton stopper added: “I remember my first (England) camp, about two years ago I was at SheBelieves as a training player, and being able to train every day with the likes of Karen (Bardsley) and Carly (Telford), you just learn so much. 

Hannah Hampton has impressed with her performances in goal for Birmingham City in the WSL this termCredit: Rex Features
“They in themselves are such supportive people that they are willing to help you, and to be able to fire questions away to them was really beneficial in kind of starting my journey in the England squad.
“And I think the chance of going to an Olympics is huge.
“For it to come around every once in four years, just shows how special an occasion it is, and to be able to go to an event like that would be incredible.”
 Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds

Lionesses in training More

ABBY DAHLKEMPER says taking on the Red Devils in her first Manchester derby was an emotionally intense experience. 
And the USA star praised Manchester City for helping her swiftly settle into life in the Women’s Super League following her January arrival.

Abby Dahlkemper says she enjoyed help Man City defeat against the Red Devils in her first Manchester derbyCredit: Getty Images – Getty

Dahlkemper, who is away on international duty in the United States, was speaking ahead of the start of the 2021 SheBelieves Cup. 
The Man City ace and her national team will play Canada in the first game of the round-robin tournament which the USA won in 2020. 
The clash comes days after Dahlkemper and Man City swept Manchester United aside in a 3-0 win against their WSL title rivals. 
Dahlkemper told Forbes: “It was a real pleasure to learn about the history of the Manchester derby and to be able to participate in it. 

“It was physically and mentally demanding and intense and you could feel that emotion when you were on the pitch. 
“I was happy we were able to get that result and taking it one step at a time over there (in England) is important. 
“My coaches and my team-mates have made the transition over there (in England) fairly smooth and I’m just happy to get minutes.” 
Dahlkemper, who joined Man City from North Carolina Courage in January, is one of several WSL stars competing in the SheBelieves Cup this year.

The USA centre-back and her national team-mates, who include United’s Christen Press and City’s Rose Lavelle, will begin their quest to win the tournament for the fourth time in Florida. 
And they will take on a Canada side whose players include City forward Janine Beckie, West Ham’s Adriana Leon and Tottenham skipper Shelina Zadorsky. 
Argentina and Brazil are the other national sides competing in the four-team competition.

Dahlkemper and the USA will take on Canada in their first SheBelieves Cup game in FloridaCredit: Getty Images – Getty

West Ham’s Adriana Leon is part of a Canada squad who will play against the USA, Argentina and BrazilCredit: Rex Features

Canada, who are the eighth-best women’s national side in the world, are being coached by ex-Lionesses assistant Bev Priestman. 
Priestman, 34, was a former No2 to ex-England Women’s boss Phil Neville.
And the County Durham-born gaffer was part of a coaching team that helped Canada win bronze at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Lionesses in training More

FARA WILLIAMS revealed she has been battling a kidney condition for almost a year.
The England legend required a kidney biopsy before she was diagnosed with nephrotic syndrome.

Reading ace Fara Williams was diagnosed with a Kidney condition called nephrotic syndromeCredit: Instagram / @fara44

Williams is England’s most capped women’s player with 170 appearancesCredit: Getty Images – Getty

The condition is caused by an excess leak of protein from blood into urine, and can lead to swelling in the legs and ankles.
Williams, 37, first noticed something was wrong after she had an operation to reattach the muscle and tendons of her thigh to the bone in March 2020.
In the final stages of her rehab she noticed swelling in her legs, hands and face.
The Reading ace revealed on Instagram: “My first thought was that it was some sort of allergy,

“However, the following day I was admitted to accident and emergency and underwent many tests, including a kidney biopsy.
“The result of the biopsy showed that I had a kidney condition called nephrotic syndrome.
“To treat this condition, I was put on the highest possible dose of steroids.
“This, of course, did not come without noticeable side effects.

“I gained an excessive amount of weight and this was noticeable in both my physical appearance and performances on the pitch.”
Williams is England’s most-capped women’s international with 170 appearances.

The Reading ace noticed swelling in her face, legs and handsCredit: Instagram / @fara44

The midfielder was admitted to accident and emergency and underwent many tests, including a kidney biopsyCredit: Instagram / @fara44

She has played at three World Cups, and despite her kidney condition battle – she has made 10 appearances this season for the Royals.
The midfielder continued: “I was fully cleared to play football on my medication by the Anti-doping Authority, together with having regular blood and urine tests.
“My consultant had never encountered someone within sport with this condition, until assisting me with my treatment,
“So it has been difficult to know what to do for the best – both for myself and Reading WFC.
“I’ve been conscious of not wanting my teammates or the fans to think that I was unfit or not trying my absolute hardest in training sessions or during matches.
“Upon reflection, I now feel I should have waited until I was further into recovery before I continued to play football.”
The Lionesses superstar has urged her fans to be “speak out and support each other” if they are going through something similar.
She added: “It is important to be open and honest about the challenges I have faced, with both my mental and physical well-being.

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