New Head Coach Mark Sampson said he will give up his life to bring success to the England Women’s team.
The former Bristol Academy manager was appointed as Hope Powell’s successor at the beginning of December and he has already selected his maiden international squad, for next month’s training camp in La Manga.
In his first interview with FATV since being unveiled, Sampson revealed his pride at being given the job – and now he is ready to fully immerse himself in the role.
He said: "It’s an awesome opportunity for me personally and I hope for the players as well. [It] is a great honour and something I’m incredibly excited about and looking forward to.
"I’m going to give up my life to make sure we try and make this England team successful because when we get to a major championship I want to be able to look the supporters in the eye and be very proud of the performances we’re putting in."
Sampson enjoyed five years at Bristol Academy, leading the Vixens to two FA Women’s Cup Finals, in 2011 and 2013, and guided them to qualification for the UEFA Women’s Champions League, earning plaudits for his attractive style of play.
Previous to his role at Bristol, Sampson worked under Roberto Martinez at Swansea City as the Centre of Excellence manager.
And now he believes he is ready for the demands of the England job.
Sampson added: "I feel I’ve got the skill set now and this is the right time for me to come to this job and give my absolute best.
"The skills I’ve learned over my coaching career have put me in a great position to understand my own philosophy and I feel I can offer a lot to the team, the nation and the players because, at the end of the day, it does come down to developing players and improving players.
"We’ve got lots of things that we want to do but to get there it will take a long time.
"We’ll work hard together and I’m sure it will be a really exciting journey for everyone involved."
