Georgia Stanway 'proud' as England turn around fortunes at Euro 2025

South Wales Argus

14-07-2025

England booked their place in the quarter-finals with 6-1 victory over Wales, but had faced immense pressure to progress after losing their opening group game to France.
In doing so, the Lionesses became the first defending champions to lose their first game of a European Championships but turned it around with successive wins to qualify second in Group D.
'Today we focus on the result that we've just had and how proud we are to get out of the group,' Stanway said after the match.
'There's been many days in this tournament where we could have actually been going home. So to be in this situation, to be staying a few more days, is something that we can be proud of.
'It was super important that we continued where we'd left off, and we could build momentum post that.
'Against Wales it was about being patient, making sure that we can tire them out, making them run and find the pockets and it allowed us to get the early goal, which allowed us to settle.'
A big win to secure progression from Group D! 🔒🙌 pic.twitter.com/HdBcoK9nVl — Lionesses (@Lionesses) July 13, 2025
The opener was all of Stanway's own making. The midfielder was awarded a penalty after being tripped by Carrie Jones and dispatched from the spot herself in the 13th minute.
It opened the floodgates for England who ran up an unanswered four-goal lead before half-time.
Sarina Wiegman was then able to make changes in the second-half with Aggie Beever-Jones and Beth Mead both coming off the bench to add to the scoresheet.
'It was a good performance. We're just happy that we continued the standards that we'd set against the Netherlands,' reflected Stanway.
'The fact that we scored early and the fact that we came in at half-time at a good score, it allowed people to get their European debuts.'
In particular, Ella Toone impressed with a goal, two assists and a 100% pass completion record as the Manchester United midfielder further pressed her claims to hold onto a starting shirt in midfield.
'Me, Keira and Tooney have just got a really good relationship with each other. We communicate, we look at each other, we speak constantly,' added Stanway.
'I like to be in the pocket, she likes to be in the pocket, Keira likes to be on the ball. We've just got a really good dynamic.
'As a 10 for Tooney, she gets joy from creating, so assists, goals and making sure that she's in that final third. And then for me on the other side, I get joy from smashing into people.'
The victory sets up a quarter-final clash with Sweden who topped Group C after defeating Germany in emphatic fashion on Saturday with 4-1 victory at Stadion Letzigrund in Zurich.
It is a familiar fixture for England who memorably triumphed 4-0 over Sweden in the Euro 2022 semi-finals, with a standout backheel goal for Alessia Russo oft replayed.
'We've got a lot of experience against [Sweden]. Obviously, they're tough, they're physical, they're more direct. I'm not sure we've faced that so far in our group, but we do have a lot of experience against them,' said Stanway.
'We just need to continue where we've been. If we have the intensity that we had against the Netherlands, if we pressed the way that we pressed today, if we win the ball back as much as we won the ball back, we can only control what we can do.'