Women's World Cup: Ella Toone praised by England team-mate Keira Walsh

1 year ago 22

England midfielder Keira Walsh says Ella Toone needs to beryllium fixed much "respect" for the relation she has played successful helping the Lionesses scope the Women's World Cup final.

But Toone whitethorn miss retired connected a starting spot with Lauren James disposable again aft her two-game suspension.

"Tooney has travel backmost successful and she has done an unbelievable job," said Walsh.

"People astir apt won't talk astir it excessively much, but it's not casual to travel successful for a quarter-final oregon semi-final erstwhile each the spotlight has been connected the player's spot you are taking.

"She tackled, she got stuck in, she took america up the pitch, she gave america a batch of security. LJ is simply a monolithic talent, but we person got to enactment immoderate respect connected Tooney's sanction arsenic good - she has been fantastic."

Chelsea guardant James, 21, scored 3 times and created 3 assists successful the radical signifier of the contention earlier she was sent disconnected successful the last-16 lucifer with Nigeria, which England won connected penalties aft playing other clip a subordinate down.

Manchester United's Toone, who scored successful the 2-1 Euro 2022 last triumph implicit Germany astatine Wembley, played each of the 2-1 quarter-final triumph implicit Colombia and started successful the semi-final occurrence against co-hosts Australia.

'The Barca girls are evidently unbelievable players'

Walsh has started 5 of England's six games, missing the 6-1 triumph against China due to the fact that of a genu wounded aft she had been carried disconnected connected a stretcher successful the 1-0 triumph implicit Denmark.

She moved from Manchester City to Barcelona successful 2022 and helped the Spanish broadside triumph the Champions League successful her archetypal season.

Asked if she thought England manager Sarina Wiegman would inquire her for proposal connected the Spain players, Walsh replied: "I ideate so, I deliberation she will.

"But past the [Spanish] girls cognize astir maine and [Barcelona team-mate] Lucy [Bronze], truthful it works some ways.

"The Barca girls are evidently unbelievable players and I americium definite immoderate I say, they volition astir apt travel up with thing antithetic due to the fact that they are precise peculiar players."

England bushed Spain 2-1 aft extra-time successful past year's Euro 2022 quarter-final and Walsh was not amazed Spain person performed truthful good successful the World Cup, contempt off-field issues including erstwhile a fig of players wanted caput manager Jorge Vilda to beryllium sacked past year.

"I spot those girls each time and however competitory they are," she added.

"It shows the professionalism for them to benignant of parkland it and bash the occupation they person done and get to a World Cup final.

"We connection earlier each crippled saying bully luck and evidently the thought was hopefully we would spot each different successful the final, but we didn't really expect it to happen.

"Once we transverse that achromatic enactment it volition beryllium a precise absorbing game. It's bully to spot truthful galore players I cognize successful and astir the final."

Lionesses purpose to marque injured trio proud

Three members of the victorious 2022 squad - skipper Leah Williamson and forwards Beth Mead and Fran Kirby - missed retired connected the World Cup done injury, though the trio person been staying successful interaction with the team.

"They would privation thing much than to beryllium present and it is astir apt a spot bitter sweet," said Walsh.

"They privation america to triumph and we would privation them to beryllium present arsenic well. Leah, Beth and Fran person been truly supportive. They person messaged aft each game.

"For us, hopefully we tin get the occupation done connected Sunday and marque them arrogant of us.

"Leah substance maine and Georgia and said: 'Just bask it. It's not each time you are playing successful the semi-final of a World Cup'.

"It volition beryllium the aforesaid connected Sunday. When you look backmost to the Euros, that was astir apt the astir excited everyone has been, the vibes were truly bully and positive.

"Hopefully we tin person that connected Sunday. For me, the astir important happening is the girls conscionable bask it and instrumentality it each in. Live successful the moment, due to the fact that it doesn't hap each day."

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