Lionesses: England star worked in Barnsley fish and chip shop before Euros success

Daily Mirror

3 days ago

Bethany England was part of the England Women's squad that won the European Championship in 2022, but she has revealed the various jobs she had before becoming a footballer
Bethany England may not have been on the pitch as the Lionesses lifted their second European Championship trophy in Switzerland, but she played a vital role in the historic 2022 squad. The Tottenham Hotspur forward was part of the team that became the first English side – men's or women's – to win the Euros on home soil.
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Yet, not long ago, the 31-year-old was juggling her football career with various jobs, including a stint at a Barnsley fish and chip shop. Over the years, women's squads have seen many players who've had to maintain part-time or full-time jobs alongside their football commitments.
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England represented her country across different age groups, from the under-19s to the under-23s, before her senior debut in 2019 in a thrilling 3-3 draw with Belgium.
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Before she became a household name and started collecting international caps, England was managing her A-Levels, working part-time at her local chippy, and playing for Doncaster Belles in the FA Women's Super League back in 2011.
Reflecting on her path to success on the England team's official website, the Spurs star said: "I ended up working for three-and-a-half years in a chippy, doing night shifts on a Friday and Saturday.
"It would start at around 10pm and finish at 5am to 6am. I would then have a couple of hours sleep and go straight to my football game, and then do the night shift whilst I was at college.
"You'd be surprised how many people want fish and chips after a night out! It's not for me. But it paid me through college, it paid for my driving lessons and everything. So, it got me where I needed to be."
This wasn't England's only part-time job whilst pursuing her football career, as she recalled stints at various other takeaway establishments and even a supermarket role. She added: "I've done all sorts. I've worked in a bakery, a factory, I've worked at M&S and I've worked in an Indian."
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After spending four years with Doncaster, the Barnsley-born player transferred to Chelsea, where she notched up 99 appearances and scored 45 goals whilst claiming numerous major trophies.
Her silverware haul includes four WSL titles, the WSL Spring Series, two FA Cups, two League Cups and the Community Shield.
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Throughout her time with the Blues, England was also a key member of the Lionesses squad that triumphed at the Euros in 2022, beating Germany 2-1 to secure their maiden international honour in front of a packed Wembley audience. She also featured in the team that finished as runners-up to Spain at the Women's World Cup, with 11 goals in 26 international caps.
The striker is now a shining star for Spurs, boasting an impressive tally of 25 goals in 45 appearances for the London club and has even worn the captain's armband on several occasions. England can now dedicate herself entirely to her footballing career, whilst acknowledging the "reality check" she experiences when recalling her early playing days.
England said: "My life is massively different now. I get a good night's sleep now I'm not having to do night shifts! But yeah, I'm in a very fortunate position where I get to do the job that I love every day.
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"I have good people around me and I'm able to balance work life and personal life."
On whether her initial struggles have shaped her, she added: "100 per cent. I think the youth coming through these days won't realise how much people had to work to get to where they are."
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"I know there was a time where I think I was basically paying to go to football, not football paying me. I remember even when I was at Doncaster Belles, I'd get paid like £150 a month or something which wouldn't even cover my fuel driving back and forth the four or five times a week.
"So yeah, I think it is a reality check but it also humbles you knowing that the way the game is growing and the way the investments are going in women's football now, it needed to be done then in order to achieve what we've got now."