ENGLAND’S DREAMING

Battling Beth is desperate to seal starting berth for opener

BETH ENGLAND admitted the battle for starting spots ahead of the Women’s Euro 2022 Championship is ramping up in the Lionesses squad.

Sarina Weigman’s side completed their preparations with a 4-0 win over Switzerland in their final warm-up match on Thursday night.

With Ellen White out after a positive Covid-19 test, England and Alessia Russo seized their chance by scoring their first international goals of 2022 to send a timely message to Wiegman.

The Lionesses kick off the Euros against Austria next Wednesday before playing Norway and Northern Ireland.

And England hopes to have given the manager (inset) a headache as she vies to start at

Old Trafford.

She said: “Everyone is here to build each other up and the competition is tough. It’s not an easy ride for anyone, nothing is guaranteed.

“You’ve just got to fight every day and if you get your opportunity, you’ve got to take it.

“The girls have been taking their opportunity which is probably giving Sarina a good headache.

“We all know it’s not just an 11 that’s out there, it’s an entire 23, and the staff.” Jill Scott and Georgia Stanway also scored, while it was England’s first goal since last November when she bagged a hat-trick in the 20-0 drubbing of Latvia.

Ten months into her reign, Wiegman’s side are unbeaten in 14 games going into the home tournament. The latest victory in Zurich was their sixth win in a row. Under the Dutch manager they have scored 84 times and conceded only three. England winger Lauren Hemp said: “I have had experience with the Under20s but this tournament is going to be on a 10-times bigger scale. “There are going to be nerves but it’s great to be surrounded by people like Jill Scott and Ellen White who’ve been there, done that.

“I can learn from them. It’s good to have the youth here too, people I’ve been involved with at Under-20s. “It’s great to have them here as well.”