With over 20,000 ‘guests’ due as she turns out for England against Finland in the opening fixture of the Women’s Euro 2005, it will be an occasion to remember.

Around 23,000 tickets have been pre-sold for the match, making the attendance the highest anywhere in Europe for a competitive women’s game.

“It will be an amazing experience playing in front of that sort of crowd, especially on my birthday,” said the Everton left back, “although I’ll probably wake up in the morning thinking about the game and totally forget my birthday.

“In any case, the only present I want is an England win and if we get that - and I’m confident we can - that will set us up perfectly for the rest of the group games.”

Unitt was just past her 19th birthday when, as the most inexperienced member of the England starting line-up, she played at Euro 2001 in Germany.

England failed to go beyond the group stage on that occasion but, four years on and with 44 caps now to her name, the former Wolves and Fulham player reckons the host nation can this time make the knock-out phase.

“We are a much fitter, stronger and more confident team that we were in 2001,” said Unitt. “I feel more prepared for this tournament than I did four years ago, mentally as well as physically, and the whole squad is ready and totally focused.

“We’ve improved so much as a team, and after going 10 games unbeaten we’ll be going into the Finland match confident we can get the win that would stand us in such good stead for the other group games against Denmark and Sweden.

“It’s going to be hard, we know that, but I honestly feel we are good enough to get out of the group – and then who knows where we can go from there?”