The end of the season is usually a time to relax for professional footballers, but for the third season in a row Ella Toone faces an anxious wait.
The Manchester United midfielder will find out this afternoon whether she’ll be in England’s World Cup squad – a feeling she’s becoming used to after the Olympics in 2021 and the Euros last season.
“I’m excited but it’s one of those days where you’re sat waiting by the phone to ring,” Toone told Sky Sports News at the unveiling of a new pitch named in her honour as part of a Government scheme to launch thousands of new sports facilities.
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Last year, Toone and the rest of the provisional squad were in camp at St George’s Park and called in one-by-one by head coach Sarina Wiegman to learn their fate.
This time, Toone will be waiting by the beach.
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“Yeah, I’m much more relaxed as most of us are on holiday, so Sarina can either ruin the holiday or not,” she joked.
“It was very hard last time as we were all around each other. It was very difficult, there were a lot of sweaty palms that day but this time we’ll be on our own, on our holidays and enjoying our well-deserved breaks.”
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England will be one of the favourites in Australia and New Zealand this summer, but their preparations have been hit by long-term injuries to captain Leah Williamson, Arsenal forward Beth Mead and Chelsea’s Fran Kirby.
Defenders Lucy Bronze and Millie Bright are also coming back from knee operations, but Toone remains optimistic.
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Manchester United forward Ella Toone told Soccer AM she is “gutted” for Leah Williamson and hopes that England will make her “proud” at the World Cup
She explained: “We know they’re massive players for us, a massive part of our Euros-winning squad.
“Obviously, we’re gutted for both, it’s not something you want to hear about a team-mate or for any footballer but we can’t dwell on that.
“Us, as players, want to do them proud. It’s not the best news and they’ll be missed massively but we’ve got to go out there and make them proud.
“You’ve got to focus on the squad that you have and I think we’ve got so much talent coming through.”
England set off for Australia in early July, with the players returning to training the month before.
Image: Sarina Wiegman will name 23 players to take to Australia and New Zealand this summer
Toone admits the players will not get much time away from the game but plans to make the most of it to maximise the chances of achieving more success this summer.
“We’ve got a couple of weeks for ourselves, it’s important to go away and switch off from football mentally and physically.
“It would be unbelievable, it’s what you dream of as a little girl. I’ve had that feeling of winning now and I want it so many more times.
“I’m hungry for more, I want to win everything, it’s the mindset I have. Last summer was unbelievable, hopefully this summer, we can go again and make the nation proud.”
What is the World Cup schedule?
The group stage will begin on July 20 and run over a two-week period finishing on August 3 and see group winners and runners-up progress to the round of 16, which takes place from August 5 to August 8.
The quarter-finals, which will be held in Wellington, Auckland, Brisbane and Sydney, are scheduled for August 11 and 12.
The first semi-final will then be played on August 15 in Auckland, with the other semi-final taking place on August 16 at the Accor Stadium in Sydney, which will then host the final on August 20.
A third-place play-off will be played the day before the final on August 19 in Brisbane.
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