Lioness fever broke out in Sydney on Friday as England fans turned out in force for their side’s World Cup game against Denmark.
Buoyant supporters sang “It’s coming home” as crowds descended on the Sydney Football stadium for the Lionesses’ second group game ahead of kick-off. England eventually won the match 1-0.
Fans were earlier seen dressed in England shirts and with flags at tourist spots across the city, including the Sydney Opera House.
It came as England star Jess Carter’s first coach hailed the player as a “true role model” after her determination took her from grassroots football, where she was “better than all the boys”, to the top of the women’s game.
The Chelsea star, 25, played in defence for England in their opening win against Canada but was on the bench for Friday’s match. The victory meant qualification for the last 16.
Dean Brandrick has known Carter since she was a toddler in a Warwickshire village. She played under Mr Brandrick for Warwick Juniors in a mixed side before the club set up a girls’ team. With Carter at the heart of it, the side scooped dozens of trophies and league titles. Unlike many other talented young players, she stuck with her grassroots side well into her teens, shunning the chance to attend a football academy, which, he thinks, shows the toughness needed to be a top international.
Mr Brandrick said: “She started kicking a ball around aged three or four. Her brothers trained with me and then when she was around six she came along too. From the off she was obviously so strong, athletic and talented. She played in midfield for us and she was as good or better than all the boys. When I set up the girls’ team for Jess they went on to win absolutely everything.
“Her last game for us was in the County Cup and she made the best tackle I’ve ever seen. The girl was going to score and she came out of nowhere to deny her. That’s Jess all over, she won’t score fancy goals but she is the heartbeat of any side. She stuck with us when she could have gone to an academy and I think that worked for both of us. She enjoyed the grassroots game and it made her tough.”
He added: “The fact she came from grassroots football then to the professional game is a credit to her, Jess is a true role model for girls, and not just the ones who play football.”
Carter made the England squad for the World Cup after a string of impressive performances for Chelsea, including in the Champions League. She joined the club in 2018 from Birmingham City, having won the Professional Footballers’ Association young player of the year award.
