England serves up cup glory to leave chip shop days in the past
Chelsea scorer used to have to work part-time Striker admits she once doubted her prospects
When Leah Williamson pulled Arsenal level with four minutes of Saturday’s Continental Cup final remaining, Chelsea’s Erin Cuthbert snatched her team-mate Bethany England – her side’s top scorer who had earlier got the opener – and hissed: “I know you have got something else in you.”
Earlier, England had swivelled in the box to claim a loose ball and slot it into the far corner to open Chelsea’s Continental Cup final account in Nottingham. That was after seven minutes, three minutes quicker than it took her to open the scoring against these same opponents in January, when Chelsea dismantled their title rivals 4-1 in the Women’s Super League.
Eighty-five minutes on from the first on Saturday, England proved Cuthbert right. She leapt to finish at the back post, via the combination of Cuthbert and Sam Kerr that has helped to make Chelsea the only team still unbeaten in the league.
“[Cuthbert] keeps saying it in the shower: she knew something was coming,” England said after the 2-1 victory. “Even though it was such a late equaliser, we had that belief. We couldn’t have lasted probably another 30 minutes with all the pressure Arsenal were putting on us, so we knew it was now or never.”
Manager Emma Hayes has always insisted there are “no superstars here” when asked to assess how much of a coup Australian Ballon d’or nominee Kerr was for Chelsea when she arrived earlier in the season. Hayes’s mantra is that Kerr is a “wonderful individual who will fit into the team”, but it is probably more accurate to say that rather than no superstars, there are simply too many to list.
England was Chelsea’s top scorer last season but this time her burgeoning partnership with Kerr – whom Hayes estimates is still playing at only “60 per cent” – has taken her to a new level. Calls for Phil Neville, the England manager, to build the national team around England have merit.
At which point it is worth remembering that it very nearly was not this way. Balancing her early career at part-time Doncaster Belles with college, England worked two jobs – in a fish and chip shop and at Marks & Spencer – to make ends meet. She played some matches having slept for just three hours the night before. In 2016, she signed for the thenchampions, Chelsea, but was lent to Liverpool in her second year. For another player, that could have spelt the end.
“Everyone’s journey is different,” England said. “I can’t say mine has been easy. It’s just been a long, old roll: just putting myself out there, trying to prove myself. I have always been a grafter. My parents brought me up to never give up and be a worker. Thankfully, I’m getting results for that, and Emma is showing faith in me leading that front line as a nine.”
Did she always feel she would make the grade at Chelsea? “I think at times, probably no,” she admitted. “A lot of people that know me know my confidence was always [something] I did battle with.
“Thankfully, I am in a position now where I am much more grown up, I would say, mentally as well as physically. I’m used to the game and how it is changing. The faith Emma is putting in me to lead that front line is a testament to that.”
Saturday’s double took England to 21 club goals in all competitions this season. She has now, arguably, eclipsed Arsenal’s Vivianne
Miedema as the most-feared striker in the WSL. “I love the story because she had to earn it,” Hayes said. “There was absolutely no way I was going to give it to her easily. No way. She will tell you that herself, I’m sure. There’s nothing more joyful than when a player you don’t really know will be able to cut it at the top level, gets their head down and puts everything into their career. The talent was always there but now you are starting to see the fruit of hard work.
“I really think England have got a player that can add something to them going to the next stage. She’s a credit to herself and her family.” Chelsea
Arsenal
Referee