Friday was decision day for the England players writes CATHERINE ETOE. It was the day Hope Powell got on the phone and called up the players to say they were in the squad.
Those who got the thumbs up had to keep the news under wraps until the official announcement at the British Museum four days later. It was a familiar but still not wholly expected experience for 62-times capped Anita Asante, currently plying her trade in Gothenburg in Sweden. For emerging talent like Toni Duggan and Dunia Susi, it was a thrilling call to take. For 29-year-old defender Laura Bassett, it was the culmination of a year of hard graft. For 81-times capped Karen Carney, working her way back from a serious injury, it was a dream come true. She Kicks chatted to them all after the announcement and here is what they had to say…
Toni Duggan on hearing she had been selected:
“I was made up when I got the call on Friday morning, I just can’t wait to fly out there now. I told my close friends and family. I just couldn’t wait for Monday when I could tell all my team mates and everyone else I know.”
On how she’s been feeling:
“I had a little break in Portugal last week for a few days just to take my mind off football but now I feel like this is the start of it now and we’ve got training camps coming up and we’re playing Japan so it’s getting exciting.”
On how England will get on:
“We’ve got a great squad and even the youth are coming in with experience from younger age groups playing European championships and World Cups and we’re used to this environment, the coaches, the philosophy, so hopefully we can do well. We know what’s expected and know the game inside out so it’s about us focusing now and putting on good performances.”
Laura Bassett on being selected:
“Absolutely over the moon and I was so happy when I got the call. I immediately told my friends and family but had to keep it quiet until the announcement day.”
On how it will go:
“There’s a lot of preparation between now and the first game, we’ve got the Japan game and Sweden game. The players had a recovery period from the demanding first part of the WSL season last week. We’ve got a tough group and I know it’s a cliche but we’ll be focusing one game at a time because you have to.”
On being excited:
“I really am. After the disappointment of [not being selected for] the Olympics last year I made a conscious decision to bounce back and make myself a better player and be in contention for this squad so I’m really happy.”
Dunia Susi on how she felt when she heard she was selected:
“I was over the moon. I was at work at the time so I got the call and was a bit nervous and when I got the good news I left work early. I was excited.”
On her expectations of the tournament:
“We are in a tough group, it’s important we focus on getting out of the group and then hopefully taking it from there. On a personal level I haven’t really thought about it much, keeping our feet firmly on the ground is important as is not getting too caught up in the occasion. It’s important to hit the ground running, six points from our first two games and we’ll go into the France game with a lot more confidence.”
Anita Asante on her selection:
“I received the call from Hope on Friday and it was a great feeling, nice to know the coach has trust and belief in me and feels I can be an asset to the team. It’s always nice when that happens. I honestly can say that I had the same nerves that I get every time when I’m waiting for the call to say whether I’m in or not.”
Karen Carney on her recovery from injury and selection:
“I played 50 minutes on Friday and trained with the under-19s for three days. So I’ve worked really hard. From the minute I got injured I was really pro-active and I feel in a really good place physically, which I haven’t felt for a few years. I got told when I’d just played my game so it was a perfect day for me. Four months of hard work literally paid off in one day. It was brilliant.”
On the youngsters:
“They have to relish it and enjoy it. It doesn’t seem so long ago since it was my first tournament and now this is my sixth. They come so quick so don’t have regrets and enjoy every moment. Their excitement and rawness will just be fantastic for our squad because when you have someone raw who just goes in it and gives her all, they are priceless those type of players.”
On the tournament:
“We have to take each game as it comes but if we go through like in 2009 quietly and let all the other teams like Germany, Sweden, France take all the attention and have no-one thinking about us, it will be good for us as a team. We just have to get through the group because the group games will be crazy.”
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