Rachel Yankey reckons England going the distance at EURO 2022 can replicate the spirit of London 2012.
The Lionesses kicked off their campaign with a 1-0 win over Austria on Wednesday after Beth Mead’s first-half strike at a sold-out Old Trafford.
Another bumper crowd will welcome Sarina Wiegman’s stars to Brighton for a clash against Norway on Monday and Yankey, who racked up 129 caps for the Lionesses, says they can capture the hearts of the nation exactly one decade on from the storied Olympic and Paralympic Games.
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The 42-year-old, speaking at a EURO 2022 roadshow event in London, said: “When the Olympics were here in 2012, the build-up was great and we got everyone involved.
“We need to make sure we continue the legacy and hopefully, there'll be people down here who will go to the games, experience it and they’ll join clubs.
“But then they’ll want to go to the Women’s Super League, domestic leagues and support their local team.
“That would be the biggest thing that we get - bigger crowd participation at domestic games.”
As one of England’s leading appearance-makers and with experience at both the 2011 World Cup and Euro 2013, Yankey is well-placed to offer advice to England’s current crop.
And the former winger, who praised the depth and togetherness of Wiegman’s side, is urging the players to soak up the experience of a tournament on home soil.
She added: “I think they’re quite well-versed in it to be honest - they seem like a real together team which I think you need in a tournament.
“You need everybody to be pulling in the right direction – it doesn’t matter who starts and all subs can come on and influence the game.
“I think that is a real positive so for me, I’d just say enjoy it. It’s rare that it comes around that you’ve got a home EUROs, so enjoy the experience.”
Yankey hit almost a century of goals for club and country and has been casting her eagle eye over Wiegman’s mouth-watering set of attacking options.
Mead, Lauren Hemp and Chloe Kelly all offer potent offensive threats and Yankey hopes they can send the AMEX Stadium crowd into raptures on Monday evening.
“As a player who played up front, you want to see those exciting players,” she said. “Players who can get the crowd going like Lauren, Beth and Chloe. All the wingers – and those girls they can definitely get everybody roaring.”
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
