With England legend Karen Carney set to appear at her fourth World Cup, who better to give us an alphabetical rundown of football’s biggest tournament?
A is for – Atmosphere. I’ve been to three World Cups, in 2007, 2011 and 2015, and the atmosphere at these tournaments is just amazing, like nothing else I’ve experienced.
B is for – Bronze. Bronze is the colour of the medal we won in 2015. It’s also the surname of our world-class right-back, Lucy.
C is for – Carney, my family name. I love and am honoured to represent them whenever I play. C is also for China – where I played at my first World Cup – and Canada, for the best experience ever, in 2015.
D is for – Dream. I have been lucky enough to fulfil my dreams of playing at a World Cup. It was my dream since I was 11.
E is for – England. Representing England at a World Cup is all I’ve ever dreamed of and I’m lucky to have played so many times for my country.
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F is for – France. They are the tournament hosts, a big football nation and the excitement in the country is really building.
G is for – Gold. We’ve got a silver medal and a bronze medal, so there’s only one colour left to complete the set.
H is for – Hope Powell, who believed in me and gave me the opportunity to play for my country.
I is for – Improvement. The women’s game has come so far in the last few years and is continuing to grow.
J is for – Japan. We’ve got previous with Japan! We beat them at the 2011 World Cup, they beat us in the last minute of the semi-final four years ago and now we’ve got them again. Hopefully our 3-0 win at the SheBelieves Cup in March is a good omen. J is also for Jill Scott, one of my best mates in the squad. She is hilarious.
K is for – Kelly Smith, the greatest England Women’s player ever.
L is for – Lionesses. We have created a brand that makes us unique and that everyone has got behind. L is also for Laura Bassett, my wing woman.
M is for – Mia Hamm. I had her jersey when I was a kid and she really inspired me.
N is for – Neville. The gaffer.
O is for – Opportunity. Players don’t get many chances to play at a World Cup so you have to enjoy every moment.
P is for – Playing. Nothing beats playing at a World Cup, in front of a massive crowd. It’s just so special.
Q is for – Quarter final. We picked up our first-ever World Cup quarter final win in 2015, against Canada. What a moment that was! We created history.
R is for – Respect. I feel that we gained the respect of the nation for our efforts in Canada.
S is for – Scotland. This promises to be a great opening game for both sides. We know a lot of their players – I play with Erin Cuthbert at Chelsea – and they know a lot of ours. We know it will be a tough game on Sunday, no doubt about it. It’s one I’m sure we’re all really looking forward to.
T is for – Team-mates. You can’t do it on your own. You need your team – and what a team we’ve got. I’ve got so much belief in each and every one of my team-mates and I can’t wait to get this World Cup under way with them.
U is for – USA. My earliest memory of watching the Women’s World Cup was USA winning the final at the Rose Bowl in 1999. For me, that set the standard for women’s football.
V is for – VAR. I’m excited to see how VAR will be used in the World Cup. V is also for Vancouver. What a place that was and what an experience, to beat Canada in front of 50,000 home fans.
W is for – Wizard. I’ve had this nickname for a few years now. It’s nice that people think of me like that, but I don’t take things like that too seriously.
X is for – Xcited! I just can’t wait for the tournament to begin.
Y is for – Yanks. Rachel Yankey was my idol when I was younger. Then she became my team-mate and more importantly my friend.
Z is for – Zzzz. A major tournament can be physically draining so it’s important to get as much rest as you can.
