IT’S GOOD TO TALK!
Trippier & Rice dish out secrets to help Lionesses
SARINA WIEGMAN has turned to Kieran Trippier and Declan Rice for tips on how to cope with the pressure of a home tournament, saying: “It’s good to share.”
The Lionesses head coach tapped into the duo’s experiences from last year as she honed her preparations for next month’s Euro 2022.
England kick off the tournament with a Group A clash against Austria at Old Trafford and Wiegman wanted to give her 23-strong squad a taste of what they can expect.
And so she invited the pair (below) – part of Gareth Southgate’s squad who eventually lost in a penalty shootout to Italy in the final – for a coffee and chat to brief the Lionesses.
She said: “What we wanted to do was have a chat and share experiences. I think it helps.
“We wanted to know what they experienced – on and off the pitch. We had a formal introduction and then the players got into little chats.
“That’s good because it gives us a connection between the men’s and women’s team but it’s also what I just said, sharing.
“That’s always good because you can pick out something.
“Maybe you don’t hear anything new but it’s just one thing that can help one or two per cent during tournaments.”
The two senior teams were working side by side at St George’s Park last week with Southgate’s side having two matches at nearby Molineux.
Wiegman’s Lionesses played at the same venue on Thursday, beating Belgium 3-0 in one of three final friendlies before the event gets underway on July 6.
Rice and Trippier were happy to pass on any knowledge as Wiegman added: “They talked a lot about social media, about the fans, about the penalty shootout and how they prepared for that.
“I think dealing with social media and the media is a big thing.
“We do have plans in place but it’s good to hear from colleagues who have experienced it already.
“And we do have players in our own squad who have done so much – but we also have those who haven’t because they are so young.
“It was a nice, informal chat with them. It wasn’t like being in a classroom where you are being dictated to – it was just a conversation.”
Wiegman succeeded Phil Neville last year and one of the reasons why she landed the job was due to her success in Holland.
She led the Dutch team to victory on their own soil in the 2017 European Championships and to the final of the World Cup two years later, where they were defeated by the United States.
But she knows that expectations are much higher here than in her homeland. Wiegman said: “I have experienced expectations but they are a lot higher here than they were in 2017.
“But that’s the stage where English football is at.
“We think we have a very good team.”