Lionesses star Keira Walsh has opened up on the “bittersweet” nature of her Women’s World Cup call-up, with the Barcelona midfielder having to prepare herself for a "tough period" without compatriot Leah Williamson.
Walsh was named in Sarina Wiegman’s 23-player World Cup squad earlier this month, and the 26-year-old is set to play a critical role in the Lionesses campaign following a sensational year in Spain.
However, Walsh will have to do so without Arsenal defender and England captain Leah Williamson, who suffered an ACL injury in the Gunners’ WSL clash against Manchester United in April and saw her World Cup dreams dashed.
According to Walsh, she has never experienced a major tournament with England at any level without Williamson by her side. The prospect weighed heavily on Walsh after she received her phone call from Wiegman before the official squad announcement, with the 26-year-old phoning Williamson soon after to check in on her friend.
“I had a missed call, and I was thinking why has Sarina rang me?” Walsh told the Mirror while speaking at a McDonald’s Fun Football session in Rochdale to celebrate the opening of sessions in the Lionesses’ hometowns during the FIFA Women’s World Cup and encourage more girls to get involved. “We [Barcelona] were preparing for the Champions League, so I wasn’t too focused on the World Cup squad. We were flying to Eindhoven the next day, I had a lot on my mind.
“I think whenever you get that call about going to a major tournament, you’re buzzing, it’s massive, so I spoke to Georgia, then I checked in on Leah, because it’s bittersweet. I’ve never been to a major tournament without her, even at younger age groups.
“So while I was happy, it was also a sad moment for me because seeing her go through that, and not be there and as captain, I’m going to miss her as a player but more importantly as a friend. It’s going to be a tough period without her. I was buzzing to some extent but sad at the same time.”
Williamson flew to Eindhoven to witness Walsh's Champions League triumph with Barcelona, and the pair are currently holidaying in Ibiza following the end of the domestic season.
Whether Williamson or fellow Arsenal teammate Beth Mead, who will both miss the World Cup through ACL injuries, will travel to Australia and New Zealand with the England remains to be seen. Rehabilitation plans and agreements with clubs have yet to be confirmed.
Williamson and Mead represent the only major absences from Wiegman's squad, with Chelsea’s Millie Bright set to return to fitness before the start of the tournament, according to Wiegman.
Nevertheless, the injury toll on the Lionesses is heady, with Mead and Williamson playing pivotal parts in the Lionesses’ historic Euro2022 campaign, the latter scooping up the player of the tournament and golden boot awards.
And Walsh acknowledged that the injury toll has been a major talking point leading into the team’s tournament preparations, but confidence remains high for a squad that has consistently set new standards for success.
“It’s difficult, because a lot of people are already speaking about the injuries that we had. And I think that line is still in the back of a lot of the players’ minds and I’m sure once we meet up we’ll forget about it, but a lot of the injuries are fresh and team selection was recently.
“We’re confident, obviously looking forward to it, but I think if you look at other teams, they have some unbelievable players, it’s going to be really difficult but after the Euros we have a right to be confident and a right to feel like we can go there and win it.”
During the World Cup McDonald’s is providing free fun football sessions in the hometowns of all the lionesses. Off the back of the Lionesses’ Euros win Fun Football saw a 60% increase in young girls signing up, we want to improve on that this summer.
You can sign up now at McDonalds.co.uk/football
