Sarina Wiegman: 'I learnt about English culture' after taking job as national team boss

Sarina Wiegman led England to Euro 2022 triumph successful the summer

Sarina Wiegman says she took clip to "learn astir English culture" erstwhile she became the Lionesses manager but admits it was not an casual determination to permission her relation successful her location country.

Gareth Southgate has questioned his future arsenic manager of the men's team.

Wiegman, who was appointed successful September 2021, said: "My archetypal thought was 'can I permission the Netherlands?'"

The Dutchwoman, who won Euro 2017 with the Netherlands, added: "I grew up there, it's my country.

"We were talking astir extending my contract, past I conscionable waited, that's however it works successful my head, I needed immoderate clip to deliberation and to feel. It stuck with me.

"Most of the clip erstwhile immoderate radical scope retired to maine astir [whether] I americium funny successful a job, aft a mates of days it would conscionable slice to 'no I'm going to enactment with the Netherlands'.

"But this 1 stuck with me. This is precise exciting, it's a large country, England is simply a large shot country, the Women's Super League, the imaginable of the team... truthful I started to person conversations."

England stay unbeaten nether Wiegman and won their archetypal women's large tourney successful the summertime astatine Euro 2022.

They besides qualified for the 2023 World Cup with a 100% record, having not conceded a azygous goal.

Discussions this week person taken spot aft English brag Southgate admitted helium was "conflicted" astir his aboriginal pursuing the team's exit from the men's World Cup successful Qatar.

But asked specifically astir her ain determination to permission her location country, Wiegman said she wanted the FA to "know who I am" and vice versa earlier taking the job.

"Those conversations went truly good truthful I got truly enthusiastic and I noticed the FA got truly enthusiastic and past we yet got to an appointment," she added.

"When I got determination I tried to cognize much astir [English] culture. Although the countries are truly adjacent together, determination are immoderate differences, truthful I truly tried to learn.

"I took immoderate English classes successful football. I said 'I volition larn astir your civilization and effort and accommodate to your civilization but the directness [of Dutch people], I volition not spell astir it oregon alteration that.'

"I deliberation it went truly good and we truly enjoyed ourselves. We tin inactive turn a lot. I deliberation the FA, the players and unit bask it excessively and deliberation we person a precise bully collaboration."