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      England hero Ellen White retires aged 33 and says goodbye to football in emotional statement after Euros triumph

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      ENGLAND Lionesses legend Ellen White has announced her retirement from football.White, 33, is currently England Women’s all-time leading goalscorer having made her professional debut in 2010.
      White has announced her retirement from professional footballCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun
      She is England Women’s all-time leading goalscorerCredit: Getty

      She announced the news with an emotional statement on Twitter this afternoon.
      It read: “This has been one of the hardest decisions of my life but one that I know is the right decision for me. This decision has always been one I have wanted to make on my terms.
      “And this is my time to say goodbye to football and watch the next generation shine.
      “It has been my greatest honour and privilege to play this game. In particular playing for England has and always will be the greatest gift.
      “My dreams came true on the 31st July, winning The Euros and becoming a European Champion.”
      In her statement, White also thanked her former teammates as well as each manager and club that she has played for throughout her incredible career.
      She then added: “This is for the next generation and potentially the next lioness. You don’t have to be the best at something to make your dreams come true, just look at me.
      “Hard work, dedication, passion and love for what you do are a great recipe.
      “Don’t ever let someone tell you ‘you can’t do something or achieve your dreams.’ I was once told I couldn’t play in the boys team and I would never play for England.
      “Now I am retiring having made 113 caps with 52 goals for England and a European Champion. Go out there and be the very best version of you!
      “Finally, let’s use the momentum from the Euro’s win to make sure that every young person in all communities has the opportunity to play and feel connected to all England football teams.”
      White has played for some of the biggest clubs in England throughout her career including Arsenal, Chelsea and most recently Manchester City.
      She also represented Great Britain at the London 2012 and Tokyo 2020 Olympic games.
      The striker became a Lionesses legend in November last year when she surpassed Kelly Smith’s total of 46 international goals to become England Women’s all-time leading goalscorer.
      She has called time on her playing career with an impressive tally of 52 goals in 113 senior appearances for England.
      Two of those goals were scored during the Lionesses’ historic charge to the Euro2022 title last month.
      Only Wayne Rooney, who netted 53 goals during his international career, has scored more for England in either men’s or women’s football.
      White made her professional debut for Chelsea in 2005, shortly after leaving Arsenal’s academy at the age of 16.
      She then had a spell at Leeds United before re-joining The Gunners – where she won three league titles and two FA Cups – in 2010.
      The striker also played for Notts County and Birmingham before moving to Man City in 2019.
      White had one year remaining on her contract after signing an extension last season, but she has now decided to retire with immediate effect.
      City head coach Gareth Taylor has paid tribute to the Women’s Super League icon.
      He told the official club website: “Ellen is without doubt an icon of the game, and although her career is now at its end, her efforts have paved the way for so many to flourish in the future.
      “She has given so much over the years to the game that she adores, and she leaves it in the strongest place it has ever been, which is testament to her hard work and sacrifices.
      “She has been the definition of the consummate professional and I feel incredibly privileged to have been able to work with her over the past two seasons – her name will be written into the history books as an icon of women’s football.
      “Whatever her next steps are, on behalf of everyone here at Manchester City, I’d like to express our immense gratitude to her and wish her all the very best for the future.”
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      Sweden ace Hurtig hails Arsenal move after club confirms the forward’s transfer from Juventus

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      LINA HURTIG says it is super exciting to move Arsenal with the club strengthening their attacking ranks before their season-opening duel with Manchester City.The WSL giants today announced Sweden’s star transfer from Juventus ending weeks of speculation.
      Lina Hurtig has become the second Sweden international to join Arsenal this yearCredit: Getty
      Hurtig was part of the Juventus side that reached the Champions League quarter-final last termCredit: Getty
      And the former Serie A ace has become the second Swedish player to join the Gunners following the January transfer of her compatriot Stina Blackstenius.
      Her arrival follows the departure of England forward Nikita Parris who sealed a move to Manchester United.
      The length of Hurtig’s deal has not been disclosed by the club who finished one point behind WSL champs, Chelsea, last term.
      Of her Arsenal move, Hurtig who spent two years at Juve and will wear the Gunners’ number 17 shirt, said: “It feels so great – I’m very happy to be here.
      “I’ve always, always wanted to play in England, and I’ve always been interested in English football, so it’s super exciting for me to be here.
      “I know Arsenal are a great club, with great players and lots of quality, so I think I will enjoy it here.”
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      Hurtig, who made her senior debut for Sweden in a 1-1 friendly draw with Canada in 2014, has scored 19 times in 58 appearances for her country.
      The versatile forward’s international goals include a header netted in a 3-0 defeat of the USA during the Tokyo Olympics’ group stages.
      And the Sweden star and team-mates went on to win silver at the Games.
      The forward, who was part of the side beaten 4-0 by England in this year’s Euros semis, began her senior club career at Swedish side Gustafs GolF IN 2011 before sealing a 2012 move to Umea.
      After the latter’s 2016 relegation from her country’s top division, Hurtig spent two years playing for Linkopings before joining Juve in August 2020.
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      There she helped the Italian champs, managed by former Gunners’ boss Joe Montemurro, to win two Italian Super Cups, one Coppa Italia trophy and two Serie A titles.
      The club also reached last term’s Champions League quarter-finals where they fell to a 4-3 defeat on aggregate to eventual contest winners Lyon
      Head Coach Jonas Eidevall, whose team will face Man City away on September 11, added: “Lina is an excellent forward who will bring power and dynamism to our game.
      “She has shone in the Champions League and international tournaments, and we are delighted that she will be lining up for Arsenal moving forward.”
      Hurtig helped Sweden to reach the Euros semi-finals this summerCredit: Getty More

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      ‘We are fighting for so many more things than just women’s football’, says England Euros winner Toone

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      ELLA TOONE joked about being pictured eating a Cornish pasty with the popularity of the Lionesses’ soaring after their Euros triumph.And the Manchester United forward, 22, intends to keep using her platform to help grow the women’s game following the team’s historic win.
      Euros winners Ella Toone and Alessia Russo could feature for Man United in their pre-season friendly clash with Paris Saint-Germain tonightCredit: Getty
      Toone netted England’s opening goal in their Women’s 2022 Euros final defeat of Germany at WembleyCredit: Getty
      Toone was speaking to Sky Sports before the Red Devils’ pre-season trip to France to compete in the Amos Women’s French Cup this evening.
      At 8:00 pm the WSL star and her team-mates take on French giants Paris Saint-Germain who finished second in France’s top-flight last term.
      Of the impact of England’s Euros win, Toone said: “It showed this summer that we made the nation proud, we’ve made everyone proud.
      “We’re fighting for so many more things than just women’s football.
      “This is just the start of our journey, and we want to keep using our platform as much as we can now to really grow the game and to help with anything that we can.
      “I think for us, as women footballers, we only ever wanted equal opportunity and I think now we’re starting to be given that.
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      “We’ve always wanted change and we’ve always tried to fight for change.
      “I feel like by winning the Euros this has really helped us and it will now for a long time.”
      The Lionesses’ storming run at the European Championship has seen their public profile grow considerably.
      An audience of 17.9million viewers tuned into the BBC to watch their 2-1 defeat of Germany in the final, making the match the most watched show on UK TV this year.
      Toone, who was on the scoresheet with England’s opener, admits the victory has seen the public profile of the Lionesses ‘blow-up’
      And the Wigan-born player revealed she has even been snapped snacking on a Cornish pasty.
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      The Man United ace added: “I got papped eating in a pasty in Tyldesley. That was the first article out about me eating a pasty.
      “The women in the shop were buzzing so they gave me a pasty for free.”
      On the media and public attention players are receiving Toone added: “It’s crazy and I think that I didn’t really expect it and I don’t know if any of us really did.
      “We knew that it was going to blow up the women’s game, but we didn’t know in which ways.
      “And paparazzi following us wasn’t one of those ways that we thought it would blow up.
      Toone hopes to help the women’s game grow further with following the Lionesses’ successCredit: Getty
      “But that’s part and parcel of it now and that’s what we’ve got to deal with.
      “And that’s how much we’ve changed the women’s game.”
      The Red Devils, who finished fourth in the top tier last term have been busy in the transfer market adding seven new players to their ranks.  
      Adriana Leon, Grace Clinton, Rachel Williams and Maya Le Tissier are among the WSL stars who have switched to Marc Skinner’s team sealing moves from West Ham, Everton, Tottenham and Brighton.
      England striker Nikita Parris and France and Spain aces Assiatou Tounkara and Lucia Garcia also moved to the side this summer.
      Ex-Arsenal ace Nikita Parris is among several players who have joined Man United this summerCredit: Getty
      Their switches followed transfers from Arsenal and Spanish clubs Athletic and Atletico Madrid.
      Man United’s duel with PSG comes ahead of their WSL season-opening trip to Spurs with the team targeting a Champions League spot next year.
      Red Devils boss Skinner said: “The opportunity to face elite European opposition, in an excellent environment, will stand the team in great stead ahead of the start of our Women’s Super League campaign.” More

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      “The starting point was zero. It was terrifying and exciting”, says Blues boss Hayes as she reflects on Chelsea reign

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      EMMA HAYES reckons ‘brain fog’ may have dimmed recollections of some of her earliest moments at the helm of Chelsea.But the Blues boss, 45, who marks her tenth year in charge of the WSL champs tomorrow has vivid memories of her first week and having no staff or office.
      Emma Hayes has led Chelsea to 12 major trophy wins since taking charge of the club ten years agoCredit: Getty
      The Camden-born head coach, who helped revolutionise the women’s game in England, recalls the initial sparse set-up when she took the job.
      A far cry from the investment that came eight years later, when the club broke the world transfer record for a women’s player, signing Pernille Harder from Wolfsburg for a fee reportedly in excess of £250,000.
      A decade ago, Hayes’s role was part-time.
      The Kingsmeadow gaffer juggled her managerial career with a job in her family’s currency exchange business Covent Garden FX.
      And Chelsea’s players were part-time too with their boss the only female manager in the league at the time.
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      Hayes, who previously worked as Arsenal assistant coach and then manager of US club Chicago Red Stars, said: “The starting point was zero, and that was both terrifying and exciting all at once. 
      “My brain fog means that everything gets a little bit harder to remember.
      “But my overwhelming (memory) is getting off a train at Cobham walking in a gate that led me straight onto to the training ground.
      “I was then walking down the path all the way down to this building that I’d been to once before when I was the academy director and coach at Arsenal and brought my academy team here.
      “I remember looking at it and thought ‘oh my goodness, what potential.’
      “And then the realisation of ‘what do you mean we don’t have an office? What do you mean there are no full-time players or staff?’
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      “There wasn’t a single member of staff that worked for the women’s section, let alone had an office, let alone had a desk or a filing cabinet.
      “They are my overriding memories and then watching the team play and thinking ‘oh my God, this is a million miles from what I’ve just come from.
      “The gulf was so big from coming from Women’s Professional Soccer in the USA to here.”
      In Hayes’s first year Chelsea were a different outfit to the trophy-winning juggernauts they are today, finishing second from bottom in the top tier in 2013.
      A league finish light years away from the serial-winning force the club has become under their gaffer.
      Under Hayes, the team have since won 12 major trophies – including five WSL titles – and reached their first Champions League final last May.  
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      The first of their silverware wins under Hayes was an FA Cup in 2015 followed by the league crown later.
      Among the figures who have played a key role in Chelsea’s evolution under Hayes is Paul Green.
      The former Rotherham United player became the Blues’ general manager in February 2013 following a seven-year stint at Doncaster Rovers Belles.
      In 2018 before Chelsea’s 3-1 FA Cup triumph against Arsenal Hayes said her general manager “had been a part of putting this team together as much as” she had.
      Reflecting on the meeting that would lead to the Blues hiring Green, Hayes said: “I remember I went to an end-of-season awards do at a hotel in Covent Garden that I wasn’t going to go to.
      Blues general manager Paul Green has played a key role in Chelsea’s evolution under Hayes
      “I happened to be at work in the currency business and I walked past there.
      “My assistant at the time said pop in and have a drink and I thought I don’t know
      “And as I walked in, I remember seeing some players and I thought recruitment!
      “If I’m honest, recruitment’s my thing, and I remember making a beeline from Rachel Williams and as I did this man walked across her, his name was Paul Green.
      “And he said ‘Hi, I want to introduce myself, I’m Paul Green, here’s my number, I would like to come and work for you at Chelsea.
      “And at that point I was like, you’re in the way, and that was it. Then Paul came on board two months later.”
      Chelsea’s squad now includes four European Championship-winning players in Fran Kirby, Jess Carter, Beth England and vice-captain Millie Bright who this week sealed a three-year contract extension.
      Emma Hayes’ tenth anniversary in charge of the WSL champions comes in a week in which Millie Bright signed a new three-year contract with the clubCredit: Getty
      Hayes added: “I’m super proud of them. What an amazing experience they had. I’m just happy for them to experience more winning.
      “And I would say those four players are used to winning so it’s not unusual for them.”
      England’s Euros final defeat of Germany in front of an 87,192-strong Wembley crowd – the largest of any Euros match men’s or women’s – has been described as a turning point for women’s football on these shores.
      A moment that Hayes, among the influential figures who have fought hard for the sport’s professionalisation, has dreamt of seeing.
      It was a victory that brought tears to the Chelsea chief’s eyes.
      I think we’ve now entered that phase of women’s football becoming a business. Emma Hayes
      And she hopes the legacy of England’s triumph will be the women’s professional game becoming a business.
      Hayes said: “That (Euros) win if it didn’t open the eyes of the Premier League, it will do now.
      “I’m a big advocate of that because if 86,000 people are paying for tickets for that and it could have sold out two or three times over, the appetite is there.
      “And I think we’ve now entered that phase of women’s football becoming a business. 
      “In 2019 there was no broadcasting deal (for the WSL).
      “There certainly weren’t regular appearances in your men’s side’s stadium or regular slots on TV plus some of the best players in the world.
      “The growth of the domestic game – that is the legacy.
      “The next step is the league leaving the FA and going to the Premier League or an independent body and that there is a vision around the women’s game, so we don’t just have single big moments once every two years or once a year.”
      A fourth consecutive league crown is among the prizes Chelsea will be chasing during their boss’s tenth year in charge.
      The team open their WSL campaign on Sunday 11 September with a lunchtime Stamford Bridge clash with West Ham.
      Their opponents will play their first league game with Paul Konchesky at the helm.
      Chelsea will take on West Ham at Stamford Bridge in their first WSL game of the 2022-23 seasonCredit: Getty
      With the Irons among the WSL sides who have strengthened their ranks with quality signings this summer, competition in the top tier this term will be fierce.
      Hayes said: “I’ve always said I think it’s harder to have back-to-back (title) wins let alone three years in a row.
      “We know it’s going to be tougher than ever, but I’m more prepared than ever.” More

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      Watch England Euro 2022 hero Georgia Stanway sing SWEET CAROLINE to room of Germany stars on Bayern Munich initiation

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      ENGLAND hero Georgia Stanway continued the Euro 2022 celebrations this week when she sang ‘Sweet Caroline’ for her Bayern Munich initiation… in front of a room full of Germany stars.The Lionesses claimed their first ever major title last month when they defeated Germany in a record-breaking European final.
      Stanway serenaded her Bayern Munich teammates with a rendition of Sweet CarolineCredit: Not known, clear with picture desk
      The squad were happy to sing alongCredit: Not known, clear with picture desk
      Stanway, 23, started every game of England’s historic charge to the trophy.
      She scored two goals along the way, one being the decisive goal in the 2-1 victory against Spain that sent Sarina Wiegman’s team through to the semi-finals.
      The Lionesses then went on to secure a sensational 4-0 victory against Sweden before marching onto the final where they ran rings around Germany before lifting the trophy under the iconic Wembley arch.
      All the players celebrated at Wembley by singing England’s unofficial anthem – Neil Diamond’s ‘Sweet Caroline’ – in front of a dejected-looking German side.
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      And Stanway couldn’t help but sing the same song in front of her new Bayern Munich team-mates during the club’s pre-season tour.
      It would have been a bitter-sweet moment for some onlookers as Bayern’s squad include a number of players that featured for Germany in the Euro 2022 final, including Lea Schuller, Lina Magull and Klara Buhl.

      But, each member of the team appeared happy to sing along to the hit song and were seen clapping along.
      Stanway is yet to make her first appearance for Bayern Munich.
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      She joined the club in a free transfer from Manchester City earlier this year, ending her seven-year spell in the Women’s Super League.
      The midfielder scored 67 goals in 186 appearances for The Sky Blues, making her the club’s record goalscorer.
      Stanway (R) featured in all of England’s Euro2022 fixturesCredit: Getty More

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      England hero Alessia Russo takes a dip on beach holiday in Italy as Man Utd ace unwinds following epic Euro 2022 final

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      ENGLAND hero Alessia Russo has been soaking up the sun in Italy as she continues to bask in her Euro 2022 heroics.The 23-year-old bagged four goals for the Lionesses on their way to European glory last month — including a superb backheel against Sweden.
      Alessia Russo has been soaking up the sun in ItalyCredit: BackGrid
      England Euro 2022 hero is away with a pal and her family in NettunoCredit: BackGrid
      The 23-year-old enjoyed a dip in the sea in the seaside resort near RomeCredit: BackGrid
      Russo scored four goals for the Lionesses on their way to Euro gloryCredit: BackGrid
      Russo, who has been tipped to become the first £1million player in the women’s game, also came off the bench to play a key role in the victory over Germany at Wembley in the final.
      And she even managed a sneaky peak at the opposition’s tactics during the emotional rollercoaster that ended in glory.
      The Manchester United star, who has been included in the club’s new kit launch promos, is now taking a well-earned break from the pitch.
      Striker Russo, wearing an orange bikini, was spotted taking a dip in the sea while on holiday with a pal and her family near Rome.
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      They spent the day catching some rays on the beach in the seaside resort of Nettuno.
      Russo spent most of her day lying and sitting in the sun before heading into the sea for a dip.

      Fellow England heroes Ella Toone and Ellie Roebuck have also been spotted enjoying themselves in Ibiza as the post-Euros party continues.
      The pair were pictured taking a trip on a luxury yacht near the island of Formentera, the smallest of Spain’s Balearic Islands.
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      They went to a Calvin Harris gig the previous night on the Spanish island with other members of the team including captain Leah Williamson and Nikita Parris.
      Forward Toone was one of the most pivotal figures for England in their Euro-winning run.
      She bagged a screamer in extra-time against Spain in the quarter-finals.
      Her impact was felt again as she scored a stunning chip just a matter of minutes after coming off the bench in the final against Germany.
      After being pegged back and forced into playing extra-time Chloe Kelly ended up scoring the winner, sending the country into wild celebrations.
      The star hired two sun loungers and an umbrella to protect her from the raysCredit: Backgrid
      But she needed a dip to cool off as she still basks in the glory of the Euros victoryCredit: BackGrid More

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      How much Man Utd’s women get compared to men’s team… with staggeringly huge pay gap compared to Ronaldo and Co

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      THE staggering pay gap between Manchester United’s men and women players has been revealed. Marc Skinner’s female side finished an impressive fourth in last season’s WSL, 14 points off winners Chelsea.
      Man Utd women’s stars like Ella Toone are paid far less than their male counterpartsCredit: Getty
      Wantaway ace Cristiano Ronaldo is picking up £480k each weekCredit: Getty
      But there is a huge pay gap when compared to the men, who could only muster a sixth-place Premier League finish last term as they finished 35 points off Man City.
      A BBC study this month revealed the average WSL player earns £47,000 a year – around £900 a week.
      Meanwhile, the average male Premier League star earns £60k a WEEK.
      At United, the Telegraph claims most female stars are picking up between £50k-£90k each year, making for an average annual salary of £70k.
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      In terms of a weekly wage, this works out to just £1,350.
      That’s despite FOUR Utd players winning the World Cup with England – goalie Mary Earps, midfielder Ella Toone, plus forward Alessia Russo and new signing Nikita Parris.
      Compared to the figures secured by the underperforming men’s team, it is certainly a pittance.
      Bar one player, of all the aces who started United’s opening day Prem defeat to Brighton, the lowest weekly wage in the side was £120k.
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      Man Utd men’s salary
      Meanwhile, over £200k-a-week is handed to Marcus Rashford and Bruno Fernandes.

      And Raphael Varane, Jadon Sancho and David De Gea are on well over £300k.
      As for wantaway Ronaldo, he pockets £480k each week.
      It means the average weekly salary for Man United’s men works out to £173k.
      That is £171,650 more each WEEK on average than United’s women.
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      Elsewhere, a gender pay gap report by the Government on Man Utd for 2021/22 found that women’s mean hourly pay was 86.1 per cent lower than men’s.
      And mean bonus pay was also 66.8 per cent lower than men’s. More

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      England hero Alessia Russo takes a dip on Italian beach holiday as Man Utd star unwinds after epic Euro 2022 win

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      ENGLAND hero Alessia Russo has been soaking up the sun in Italy as she continues to bask in her Euro 2022 heroics.The 23-year-old hit four goals for the Lionesses on their way to European glory last month — including a superb backheel against Sweden.
      Alessia Russo has been soaking up the sun in ItalyCredit: BackGrid
      England Euro 2022 hero is away with a pal and her family in NettunoCredit: BackGrid
      The 23-year-old enjoyed a dip in the sea in the seaside resort near RomeCredit: BackGrid
      Russo scored four goals for the Lionesses on their way to Euro gloryCredit: BackGrid
      Russo, who has been tipped to become the first £1million player in the women’s game, also came off the bench to play a key role in the victory over Germany at Wembley in the final.
      And she even managed a sneaky peak at the opposition’s tactics during the emotional rollercoaster that ended in glory.
      The Manchester United star, who has been included in the club’s new kit launch promos, is now taking a well-earned break from the pitch.
      Striker Russo, wearing an orange bikini, was spotted taking a dip in the sea while on holiday with a pal and her family near Rome.
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      They spent the day catching some rays on the beach in the seaside resort of Nettuno.
      Russo spent most of her day lying and sitting in the sun before heading into the sea for a dip.
      Fellow England heroes Ella Toone and Ellie Roebuck have also been spotted enjoying themselves in Ibiza as the post-Euros party continues.
      The pair were pictured taking a trip on a luxury yacht near the island of Formentera, the smallest of Spain’s Balearic Islands.
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      They went to a Calvin Harris gig the previous night on the Spanish island with other members of the team including captain Leah Williamson and Nikita Parris.
      Forward Toone was one of the most pivotal figures for England in their Euro-winning run.
      She bagged a screamer in extra-time against Spain in the quarter-finals.
      Her impact was felt again as she scored a stunning chip just a matter of minutes after coming off the bench in the final against Germany.
      After being pegged back and forced into playing extra-time Chloe Kelly ended up scoring the winner, sending the country into wild celebrations.
      The star hired two sun loungers and an umbrella to protect her from the raysCredit: Backgrid
      But she needed a dip to cool off as she still basks in the glory of the Euros victoryCredit: BackGrid More