Published 22 July 2022 4 min read
England Women's Senior Team
Keira Walsh: 'It's a special feeling we haven't felt before'
England midfielder looks ahead to Tuesday's UEFA Women's EUROs semi-final and discusses the impact of the home crowd and the Lionesses' impressive squad depth
Keira Walsh believes England have proved they are capable of doing something special this summer and are feeling ready for anyone after securing a place in the UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 semi-finals.
After a spirited comeback against Spain, the Lionesses now look forward to competing in their sixth European Championship semi-final bout on Tuesday.
“I think the feeling in this squad is just confidence,” said Walsh. “There’s been talk about us not really having any difficult games in the group, but we’ve come from behind and shown that we’re a real force to be reckoned with.
“I think we’ve got a really good momentum with us, and I hope we can carry that on to the semi-final.”
Victory for Sarina Wiegman’s side in Brighton allowed the summer party to continue, with England heading to Bramall Lane in Sheffield on Tuesday, where they’ll hope to reach their third EUROs final.
The Lionesses have received an unprecedented level of support from their fans as tournament hosts, with the players engulfed by a unique atmosphere at each match.
“When we pulled up on the coach, the fans were outside and when we’re singing the national anthem, you can hear it echoing around the stadium,” she added.
“It’s such a special feeling and one we’ve not experienced before because we’ve not had a home tournament.
After a spirited comeback against Spain, the Lionesses now look forward to competing in their sixth European Championship semi-final bout on Tuesday.
“I think the feeling in this squad is just confidence,” said Walsh. “There’s been talk about us not really having any difficult games in the group, but we’ve come from behind and shown that we’re a real force to be reckoned with.
“I think we’ve got a really good momentum with us, and I hope we can carry that on to the semi-final.”
Victory for Sarina Wiegman’s side in Brighton allowed the summer party to continue, with England heading to Bramall Lane in Sheffield on Tuesday, where they’ll hope to reach their third EUROs final.
The Lionesses have received an unprecedented level of support from their fans as tournament hosts, with the players engulfed by a unique atmosphere at each match.
“When we pulled up on the coach, the fans were outside and when we’re singing the national anthem, you can hear it echoing around the stadium,” she added.
“It’s such a special feeling and one we’ve not experienced before because we’ve not had a home tournament.
21 Jul 2022
2:20
Highlights: England 2-1 Spain
See the goals and the best of the action as the Lionesses reach the EURO 2022 semi-finals
“It does give you that little bit of an extra push. Of course, every tournament is important, but having the home crowd behind you is definitely special, and I hope we can continue doing it for the semi-final.”
Walsh, who has started every game so far this tournament, came off late on against Spain but any worries of an injury have now been quashed, as cramp was the culprit for the 25-year-old’s departure.
Jill Scott replaced her in midfield for the closing stages, while Ella Toone and Alessia Russo also entered the field from the bench with high-impact performances.
Toone, Russo, Walsh and Lauren Hemp all combined to score the equalising goal six minutes from the end of normal time to keep England in the tie, and the midfielder believes this outlined the significant role squad depth could play going forwards.
“Alessia and Tooney have been unbelievable when they’ve come on,” she said.
“Jill [Scott] and Keets [Parris], everyone who has come on, has made an impact and played a part, and they’ve got us to this point; hopefully, we can go another step further.”
Alfie Dickin is a Football Journalism student at the University of Derby covering EURO 2022.
Walsh, who has started every game so far this tournament, came off late on against Spain but any worries of an injury have now been quashed, as cramp was the culprit for the 25-year-old’s departure.
Jill Scott replaced her in midfield for the closing stages, while Ella Toone and Alessia Russo also entered the field from the bench with high-impact performances.
Toone, Russo, Walsh and Lauren Hemp all combined to score the equalising goal six minutes from the end of normal time to keep England in the tie, and the midfielder believes this outlined the significant role squad depth could play going forwards.
“Alessia and Tooney have been unbelievable when they’ve come on,” she said.
“Jill [Scott] and Keets [Parris], everyone who has come on, has made an impact and played a part, and they’ve got us to this point; hopefully, we can go another step further.”
Alfie Dickin is a Football Journalism student at the University of Derby covering EURO 2022.
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