England captain Leah Williamson has called on the nation to get behind the Lionesses, as they bid for European Championship glory on home soil.
The hosts kick-off the tournament against Austria at a sold-out Old Trafford tonight, and Williamson believes home support could hand Sarina Wiegman’s side a big advantage over their rivals.
Williamson says England will feed off big crowds and insists they are relishing having the eyes of the nation on them tonight as they bid to prove their credentials as leading contenders for the trophy.
Asked by Standard Sport if having home support could be an advantage, Williamson said: “One hundred per cent. They are the 12th man.
“And, to be fair, Sarina has had experience of that [Wiegman guided her native Holland to Euro glory in 2017] and that’s something she wants us to embrace, and maybe something we’ve not been that good at in the past.
“So, we are loving the fact there will be 75,000 fans there tonight, and most of them will be there for us. Of course, it’s a good advantage for us. We are at home, so we intend to use it as much as possible and embrace it.”
England go into the tournament as one of the favourites to go all the way, and Wiegman has urged her side to embrace that tag.
“We know the tournament starts tonight and we’ve waited a long time for that,” she said. “It is an exciting moment and it would be very strange if we didn’t feel excited. We just do the same things we always do, just focus on our style of play as individuals and as a team.”
England have never won a major tournament in women’s football, but the talent in the squad means there is real optimism of ending that wait this summer.
Several of the England squad have tasted success domestically with their club sides, and Williamson believes that stands them in good stead.
“We’re very fortunate we have a lot of talented players within the team that have won [trophies] domestically,” said the Arsenal star.
“You look at the likes of Lucy Bronze, such a decorated footballer, and that adds so much value to our team. But to get over that line, until we do it, it’s a question of belief. Can you do it? Can you go further than you’ve gone before?”
England have had fitness issues in the build-up to the tournament, as Ellen White had Covid and Bronze was also ill. But both have been passed fit and Wiegman has a fully-fit squad for tonight’s opener.
“We have shown we have a very good squad, with depth, and it’s really good that we have to make hard choices,” said Wiegman.
