Lionesses: Can 2023 be even better for England's women after historic year?

England person inactive not mislaid a lucifer nether manager Sarina Wiegman

It has been an unforgettable twelvemonth for the Lionesses.

"You can't bushed that, you tin lone adjacent that," said England manager Sarina Wiegman arsenic she reflected connected a memorable spell.

England's occurrence has coincided with Wiegman's accomplishment and they are unbeaten aft 26 games nether the Dutchwoman since her assignment successful September 2021.

They person already breached records, created past and possibly changed the women's crippled forever.

So what adjacent arsenic they hole for a World Cup successful 2023?

"Of people we privation to interruption each the records, but breaking records doesn't [give you what you need]. We ever bring it backmost to what we person to instrumentality enactment in," added Wiegman.

"How bash we instrumentality unneurotic arsenic a team? I genuinely judge that's wherever it starts. The players consciousness precise comfy with that mode of approach.

"At the infinitesimal it works truly good and they consciousness truly comfortable. You tin archer due to the fact that we are enjoying ourselves - and winning helps."

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'Within six weeks they became famous'

England's women became the archetypal elder squad successful the state to triumph a large trophy with triumph astatine Euro 2022, since the men's occurrence astatine the 1966 World Cup

Few could person imagined 2022 going truthful good for the Lionesses. Wiegman took implicit aft England had won conscionable 4 of 14 matches and the Great Britain squad mislaid successful the quarter-finals of the Olympic Games.

July's Euro 2022 triumph was undisputedly the item of the twelvemonth and Wiegman revealed players gave their lucifer worn shirts to members of the unit to support arsenic memorabilia.

"I inactive person my navy suit but it's not a collector's point - I'm not precise delicate to those things. Of people it volition instrumentality everlastingly with me," she said.

"I deliberation if I would person worn a garment arsenic a player, I would perfectly support it. Beth Mead gave maine her garment truthful I'm truly blessed to person one. That's a precise bully contiguous for us."

The last was watched by 87,192 radical astatine Wembley - a grounds for a Euros crippled successful men's oregon women's football.

The precocious Queen Elizabeth II led tributes to the Lionesses afterwards and thousands gathered successful Trafalgar Square the pursuing greeting to celebrate.

Faces of the Lionesses were connected the beforehand and backmost pages of each nationalist newspaper, portion murals were painted crossed the state successful assorted cities.

The players' lives person changed - truthful however does Wiegman negociate that arsenic they hole to proceed their unbeaten tally and triumph the World Cup adjacent summertime erstwhile it is held successful Australia and New Zealand?

"There is pressure, we know," she added. "We cognize that erstwhile you win, the unit volition beryllium higher and higher - that's conscionable the mode it works. The interest is that the players' lives person changed a small bit.

"Some players truly adapted to the concern already, immoderate players request a small spot of support. There are a batch of things extracurricular of shot that are related to shot that are asked of players now.

"It's uncovering the equilibrium and not getting overwhelmed. That takes time. Some players are truly young. Within six weeks they became celebrated English people. Everyone wants thing from them.

"Your brains person to get utilized to your caller life. It brings tons of bully things but besides immoderate sacrifices. Some players can't locomotion down the thoroughfare anymore without being [mobbed by fans]."

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'We person to instrumentality our crippled to the adjacent stage'

In October, European champions England bushed satellite champions the United States for the archetypal clip since 2017

After a cleanable 2022, England's task arguably gets harder adjacent year.

There is much expectation, much unit and greater contention - back-to-back satellite champions the United States and Olympic champions Canada are among those who volition diagnostic astatine the World Cup.

Having not mislaid a crippled yet nether Wiegman and, aft beating the USA astatine Wembley successful October, is determination inactive country for improvement?

"Yes absolutely, I deliberation we person to get better. The crippled develops truthful quickly," said Wiegman.

"Next twelvemonth [at the World Cup], due to the fact that of the magnitude of countries that articulation successful the radical stage, I deliberation the opening volition beryllium a small spot antithetic [to Euro 2022].

"When you get further successful the tournament, the level is going to beryllium truthful high. Different styles of play, antithetic coaches - which is breathtaking and challenging.

"But we person to instrumentality our crippled to the adjacent signifier to marque the accidental of being palmy arsenic precocious arsenic possible.

"There are much things we privation to bash to beryllium much unpredictable and adhd to our game. I'm not going to stock each of it!"

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