
Stressful way England reached Euros final unlocked perfect weapon
Now 90 minutes away from lifting their second major trophy, the Lionesses are set for their toughest test yet as they face the same side that beat them 1-0 in the Sydney World Cup final two summers ago.
'I think the way we did it brings the team closer together,' said Walsh. 'We just don't know when to give up.
'I've probably not (known anything like this).
'I think obviously we come in every tournament and we want to reach the final and maybe the way we've done it is a little more stressful for everyone.
'But I think that's kind of the beauty of this team, is that we are relentless and we've got belief in ourselves that even in the 90th minute, we can get a goal and we can win.
'I think that's what's really special about us at the minute.'
Keira Walsh joins us LIVE from the media centre at basecamp. 🤩 https://t.co/xPRptuJcrI
— Lionesses (@Lionesses) July 24, 2025
Walsh, who spent three years at Barcelona, is very familiar with the Spanish threats, particularly Aitana Bonmati, the Barca midfielder and back-to-back Ballon d'Or winner who scored the extra-time winner in Spain's semi-final win over Germany.
Spain's World Cup win was overshadowed by controversy, eventually leading to former Spanish football federation president Luis Rubiales being found guilty of sexually assaulting Spanish footballer Jenni Hermoso after kissing her on the lips without her consent during the medal ceremony.
Some Spain players have also expressed disappointment that their triumph in Australia did not yield the same women's football paradigm shift in their country as England's victory at their home Euros.
'I think they probably could have had more (respect),' added Walsh. 'I think, the way our league jumped after we won the Euros and everything in and around it, if you compare it to Spain, it probably wasn't the same and they won the World Cup.
'They probably could have had more support.
England claimed a comeback victory over Italy to reach Sunday's final (Nick Potts/PA)
'After the game there was a lot of controversy and I don't think, for them, there was enough spotlight on how incredible they played and how incredible some of their players were. It was all about the other stuff that had gone on.
'As a professional, that was disappointing to see. I have a lot of friends in that team and I think they probably deserved a little bit more than what they got.'
The Lionesses' bench has been instrumental in Switzerland, where Arsenal duo Chloe Kelly and 19-year-old Michelle Agyemang – who has scored three goals in her first four England caps, including equalisers in the last two matches – have enthusiastically inherited the 'super sub' baton.
Asked where the Lionesses' never-say-die attitude comes from, Walsh explained: 'Honestly, I think it's part of being English.
'I think that's what we feel when we put the shirt on. It's that we give everything, we run ourselves into the ground and that's the beauty of this squad.
'We know that if we have to come off because we're tired, there's going to be someone else who can finish the job.
'It's what we speak about as a team. It's that English resilience and it's something that we really pride ourselves on.
'You can see that in the last two games, that's something we really believe.'
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


North Wales Live
23 minutes ago
- North Wales Live
Helena Rowland not taking favourites tag for granted at Rugby World Cup
England may be overwhelming favourites to become world champions on home soil this summer but Helena Rowland insists they are taking nothing for granted. The Red Roses last lifted the trophy in 2014 but are currently on a 25-match winning streak under the leadership of New Zealander John Mitchell. The winners of the last seven Guinness Women's Six Nations and last two WXV tournaments will also have the added advantage of home support but Rowland insists the squad are remaining grounded. 'We have definitely tried to keep quite internal about [having the favourites tag],' she said, as part of a new LG OLED TV collaboration ahead of this summer. 'We are driving our standards and we keep pushing ourselves to be better every time we train. 'The more we can do that, and focus on ourselves rather than the external pressure, the better. 'Obviously, it is a home tournament. We are favourites, but that does not mean anything. 'We were favourites going into the last one and did not quite come away with it. 'It is a big summer ahead and I think we're all really looking forward to it and relishing the challenge.' LG is helping the nation get closer to the action with LG OLED TVs. Life's Good for sport fans as LG's leading technology provides an unmatched immersive sporting atmosphere thanks to incredible OLED picture quality, Motion Pro technology for the smoothest action possible and unbelievable soundbar surround sound to bring the stadium feeling home. The 25-year-old fly-half, who can also play at centre and full-back, was part of the England squad that missed out in New Zealand three years ago, which saw the Black Ferns crowned world champions. But another chance now presents itself for England to avenge that defeat in what will be the best attended tournament of its kind ever, with a showpiece final at the Allianz Stadium on September 27. Rowland's versatility will make her a key asset in Mitchell's armoury this summer. She was handed the fly-half reins for the Six Nations opener against Italy in York before coming off the bench in the remaining four matches as England wrapped up their latest title. And the 25-year-old Loughborough Lightning ace hopes the visibility of this summer's competition will mean more youngsters feel empowered to take up the sport. 'It's a privilege to be able to inspire the next generation,' she continued. 'As children, a lot of us grew up without necessarily having those figures, particularly in rugby. 'For us to have the opportunity to be front and centre, and to show what rugby is about, hopefully, that gets more girls involved in rugby and sport in general. 'That would be great because that is our aim. We want to get the next generation coming through to create that next legacy. 'We definitely want to be one of those teams that comes away with the trophy at the end of it. 'It is a massive opportunity for us, but we know it is not going to come easily, there is a lot of competition across the board. 'But it's going to be an unbelievable event, with unbelievable crowds, and that is what is going to drive us and keep us going.'


The Independent
23 minutes ago
- The Independent
Newcastle reject formal bid from Liverpool for Alexander Isak
Newcastle have rejected an offer from Liverpool for striker Alexander Isak. The Sweden international has told the Carabao Cup winners he wants to explore the possibility of a move away from St James' Park and Liverpool, who had made an inquiry about the 25-year-old last month, followed it up with a formal bid. Isak would be expected to command a price of over £100m and more than the club record sum Liverpool have paid for Florian Wirtz this summer. Newcastle had long maintained that Isak was not for sale, but Liverpool are testing that position and manager Eddie Howe has admitted his top scorer's future could be out of his hands. Howe left Isak out of the defeat to Celtic because of speculation and Isak missed Newcastle's pre-season tour of Asia with what the club described as a minor thigh injury, while he has been training with his former club Real Sociedad in a bid to return to fitness. Liverpool have spent around £250m this summer, which can rise to £300m including add-ons and the deal for goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili, which was announced last year, but the Premier League champions are determined to be ambitious in their recruitment and head coach Arne Slot has said they will target the best players. They have brought in around £130m this summer, with the £65.5m sale of Luis Diaz to Bayern Munich meaning they have lost one attacker. The Colombian spent some of last season operating as a centre-forward and scored 17 goals in the campaign. However, Liverpool have already paid an initial £69m for Hugo Ekitike, who they see primarily as a No 9 and who was also a target for Newcastle. Newcastle have also been frustrated in their attempts to buy a host of other forwards, including Liam Delap, Joao Pedro and Bryan Mbeumo but while they are interested in Brentford's Yoane Wissa, they are yet to conclude a deal for him, while their only major signing this transfer window is winger Anthony Elanga. Isak scored 23 Premier League goals for Newcastle last season as well as a Carabao Cup final strike against Liverpool. He has three years left on his contract at Newcastle but is now unlikely to sign an extension.


The Independent
23 minutes ago
- The Independent
Michelle Agyemang praises England squad for ‘taking me under their wing' at Euro 2025
Michelle Agyemang has praised England's squad for taking her 'under their wing' during the Lionesses ' victorious Euro 2025 campaign. Agyemang, 19, was the youngest member of the squad for the competition in Switzerland and came into the team with just one England cap as Sarina Wiegman looked to integrate new players into the successful squad that won Euro 2022. Despite a quiet group stage Agyemang sprung onto the scene with vital equalising goals in the quarter-final against Sweden and the semi-final versus Italy, eventually going on to be named as Young Player of the Tournament. And the Arsenal striker labelled her international teammates as 'so loving, kind and caring' when praising how they welcomed her into the squad. "A lot of them took me in because I was the youngest in the team," Agyemang said when speaking to BBC Breakfast. "It can be hard sometimes but everyone was so willing to help me. They took me under their wing. I have only been around for a short time but they were so loving, kind and caring." "Everyone, no matter your role, the backroom staff and the staff behind the staff, everyone is valued in this team and you can see it with the way we celebrated," Agyemang continued. "We all did it together. To see it come off in the end shows how together we were and I'm so grateful that we have such a good team around us, and it made it so special." Speaking on the celebrations after the win, Agyemang said that 'a lot of gratitude is the main feeling I am feeling'. "I did cry a little bit because it was so surreal to see the change from the first game all the way to the final. At times it was difficult, but we made it and I was just grateful to God for that. "As soon as Chloe's [Kelly] penalty went in, I was just in disbelief. It was just mad. I have never been part of anything like that before,' she added. The Lionesses return to action on Saturday 29 November, when they face China at Wembley ahead of beginning their preparations for the 2027 World Cup.