Andy Lamb spoke with Arsenal’s Jordan Nobbs after her selection in the England squad for next month’s FIFA Women’s World Cup in Canada.
AL: Congratulations on selection for Canada and It’s another huge honour for you to represent England
JN: I think we were all very nervous waiting for that call from Mark [Sampson]. So once you finally get it you can start to relax and look forward to going. In our past performances we have shown what we can do as a team and playing some of the best teams has given us an advantage going into the tournament, having game understanding.
AL: What’s it like waiting by for ‘the call up’?
JN: It’s nervous waiting for selection and a World Cup is a once in a lifetime opportunity that everyone wants to be a part of. It’s my first senior World Cup and its something I wanted to be a part of on that plane. To get that call was a dream come true really.
AL: Mark has a strong squad to choose from with plenty of options, whats that like as a player?
JN: Mark has kept us all on our toes, nobody knows whose going to start or who is going to be selected so that’s kept us all fresh. Everyone wants to be part of that team and that’s shown in past performances, the competitivenes in the games for who wants to be on the plane. We have all bonded as a team over the last two years and its been a good development from us and we are just looking forward to going now!
AL: Casey [Stoney] has said it will be her last world cup, how important is it that she’s out there with you?
JN: She’s a massive part of the team, her leadership qualities and experience has been massive over the last few years and having her at Arsenal as well, she is a great person to have in your team. That’s why she’s selected, she deserves her place and has a lot to show for what she’s done for over the past few years.
AL: Group F is France, Columbia and Mexico… any initial thoughts on the group?
JN: We are treating every game like it’s a final and make sure we get as far as we can in the tournament. We are going to have the same drive and focus for each game we play.
AL: BBC have coverage across all platforms and commentary of all England games on 5 Live – is coverage almost on a par with the men’s team now?
JN: The coverage on the BBC is amazing as family and friends can watch it and support us from home, which is massive for the team and nice to have.
AL: How are you feeling going into it ?
JN: I think we are all looking forward to it and it’s now just about remaining focused ahead of it.
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