England midfielder Katie Zelem says she is hopeful the Lionesses will still be able to connect with their fans back home this summer, despite contesting the Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
Last year, more than 87,000 spectators watched on inside Wembley Stadium as England triumphed over Germany to lift the Euro 2022 trophy, setting a new record for a women's international game in Europe. The incredible home support throughout the tournament played a huge role in the Lionesses' journey to the final, though it will be a very different story when Sarina Wiegman's side take to the field against Haiti for their opening group stage game in Brisbane on July 22.
But, despite being thousands of miles away from home, Zelem is confident the Lionesses will still be able to benefit from the support of their fans back in England.
"I think one of the main things for us is being able to connect with our fans," she said. "Whether that be avid football fans or young girls who want to grow up and follow in our footsteps.
"For us we want to be as relatable and connect to our fans as much as possible. Obviously this summer we’re on the other side of the world so for us, being able to show our personality and helping people to see us not just as footballers but as people too is really important."
Zelem was named in England's 28-player preliminary squad for last summer's Euros but did not make the final cut for the tournament. However, after helping Manchester United qualify for the Champions League and reach a first ever FA Cup final last term, the 27-year-old is among the 23 players that will be making the trip down under next month.
But while her main focus this summer will be on helping the Lionesses add another piece of silverware to their cabinet, she also concedes she will have to use her downtime to study for her masters degree in Sports Business.
"It's a long time that we're out there so we need something to get us entertained," she said. "I'm actually doing a masters so I need to actually do some lectures because I’m really behind. I really need to catch up on that."
And the midfielder has also revealed what she and her England team-mates do to unwind in between a rigorous schedule of travelling, training and matches.
"We like to play board games," she said. "We play a game called Partners which we play at [United] so we’re slowly trying to teach people the rules. We like to play cards too - anything like that."
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