Rachel Daly is relishing the target on England’s back as the European champions look to book their place at next summer’s Women’s World Cup, starting against Austria on Saturday, but is sad that the team must tackle this challenge without the retired Jill Scott and Ellen White.
A draw in Wiener Neustadt, against opponents beaten 1-0 at Old Trafford in the Euro 2022 opening game and by the same score at the Stadium of Light earlier in this qualifying campaign, would suffice to seal England’s spot at the finals in Australia and New Zealand, with a home game against Luxembourg next Tuesday still to come. Victory in Stoke in the latter match would be enough for qualification, should Austria triumph on Saturday.
“Being the ones to beat comes with winning, it comes with success,” Daly said. “It’s a target on your back but pressure is a privilege, and we have to see it as that. Of course, there will be pressure on us but right now we’re focused on qualifying for the World Cup.”
It is important that England live up to their new title and put on a strong performance against Austria, Daly said, but she added: “I don’t think anything needs to change. Off the back of a successful summer we know what we need to do, we know what Austria is about. The focus remains on how we can control the game. Yes, it’ll be a tough game but one we’re more than prepared for.”
Daly says life has definitely changed for her since England lifted the European Championship trophy for the first time but she could not have envisaged just how much it would be affected until she stepped outside the safety of the team’s seclusion.
“During the Euros we were in a bubble, we didn’t really see a lot of the outside world. You got glimpses of that when you went to games and you were surrounded by fans and the media, but I don’t think we were fully aware of how much of an impact we had on the nation.
“So, coming out of it was a whirlwind. It was like one minute we were all together, living in a bubble, and then the next you’re just in an open world. It was almost like you’d been on Big Brother or Love Island, you’re in a world where you don’t see anything else, so to come out to the way the world was, it was just crazy.”
At St George’s Park, England’s training base, the signage around the buildings has been updated to celebrate the Euro 2022 win and welcome the Lionesses back to camp for the first time since they departed the base for Manchester at the start of the tournament. “Courage”, “no regrets”, “grounded” and “fearless” accompany imagery from the historic summer, while a “welcome home Uefa women’s Euros 2022 winners” is emblazoned across the doors.
“It feels great to be back,” Daly said. “Life in camp feels more normal than life out of camp right now. It’s really nice to see everyone’s faces again and just be around the group and staff, especially coming off the back of a fantastic summer.”
Despite having spent 10 weeks together, Daly has missed her teammates since. “Every day. They’re my mates, my family. We spent a lot of time together over the summer, but we’ve got a great bond within the squad and you do miss that when you’re away from them.”
The two faces that are not here, Scott and White, who have both retired since Euro 2022, are a “devastating loss”, Daly said. “They’re two massive characters, great footballers but honestly even better humans. If you could be surrounded by them every day, you’d feel the empowerment, you’d feel the support, and they’re just fantastic people who will go on and do tremendously in whatever they end up doing.
“I wish them both so much success and health and happiness, they deserve the world, so what they’ve done for the women’s game in England, and not just in England but for the women’s game in general, everyone should be honoured to be part of that. It’s definitely quieter without Jill.”
