Striker Ellen White is refusing to get carried away with how big a statement England made with their 8-0 hammering of Norway at the Women’s Euros on Monday night.
The Lionesses were expected to be pushed hard by the Norwegians, who boasted the likes of Ada Hegerberg and Guro Reiten in their line-up, but they had the match at the Amex Stadium won with plenty to spare.
Two goals from White helped England to a scarcely believable 6-0 half-time lead at Brighton and the ruthless hosts continue to press for more goals in the second half, with Beth Mead going on to complete a hat-trick.
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Following their nervy 1-0 win over Austria in their opening game, this was England back at their best, after fellow big-hitters Spain, Germany and France had all started their campaigns in style.
White told the BBC: “Obviously it’s a big statement, 8-0, but for us we’re kind of staying cool and collected.
“We want to keep moving and growing as a team, growing from that first game against Austria and now this one and moving into the Northern Ireland game. We’re focused on our own task, but we’re delighted to come away with it with an 8-0 win, a clean sheet and three points.”
White revelled in playing in such a party-like atmosphere, with ‘It’s Coming Home’ being chanted by the crowd on multiple occasions during the course of the match.
She said: “The noise and the atmosphere was absolutely insane and I really hope everyone watching is super proud and behind us. We’re so thankful for that support.
“Hopefully we can continue to grow as a team and continue to make everyone really proud of us.”
Manchester City’s White was substituted in the second half for Manchester United forward Alessia Russo, who added to the rout by heading in Lucy Bronze’s cross for England’s seventh of the night.
Russo, 23, also praised the amount of noise the supporters were able to generate, with the crowd well and truly in party mode by the time of her introduction.
“It’s really special,” Russo said, adding: “It’s almost like a ‘pinch me’ moment.
“It was great to see them all out there and it was as loud as ever. It’s amazing.”
England now head into their final group game, against Northern Ireland, knowing their place in the quarter-finals as group winners is secured, which has led to suggestions their coach Sarina Wiegman could make changes for the match at St Mary’s Stadium on Friday.
When asked whether the Lionesses would be in a relaxed mood for that game, Russo said: “Obviously it’s nice to have already got through, but I think we want to win every game in this tournament that we’re faced with.”
Tickets are on sale now for fans to experience a history-making tournament that aims to unite football and communities and amplify the growth of the women’s game. www.uefa.com/womenseuro/ticketing
