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Euro 2022: Final will be 'defining moment' for women's football, says star Jill Scott

Scott said it will be a "tough game" but the Lionesses are "prepared for every eventuality", including a penalty shootout.

Alexa Phillips

News reporter

Friday 29 July 2022 18:12, UK

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England midfielder Jill Scott has said she is looking forward to the Euro 2022 final on Sunday, calling it a "defining moment" for women's football.

She said she thinks about what it would be like to win against Germany "50 times a day", saying it would be a "game changer" for the sport in England.

Scott said it will be a "tough game" but the Lionesses are "prepared for every eventuality", including a penalty shootout, which proved to be the Achilles heel for the men's England team when they faced Italy in last year's Euro final.

She said she thinks they were the "best-prepared team" coming into the tournament and is "very confident" about their performance on Sunday.

Speaking about their success and the public outpouring of support so far, she said: "It really has been incredible.

"We're very happy to be there on Sunday.

"I think the best two teams have made the final, which is great. I think it's going to be a very defining moment for the sport."

She said it has been hard not to get "emotional" seeing so many people coming out to watch the games in the tournament.

"We really wanted to inspire the nation," she said.

"We wanted to do everyone proud - our families, our friends. We wanted to grow more opportunities for young girls, young boys.

"We wanted to grow more opportunities for women that want to work in football. We wanted to get the sport the respect that it deserves. And if you ask me, I think we've ticked all the boxes.

"So I think now we've earned the right for the team to go out there on Sunday and enjoy it."

Analysis by sports correspondent Rob Harris

The Lionesses have been together so long that the Queen hadn't even made her Jubilee balcony appearances when they first linked up as a squad.

There's no sign of tedium in the England camp in southwest London, being surrounded by the same faces for more than two months.

If anything, the players are now trying to savour the last couple of days together, soaking in every remaining moment of a nine-week journey they hope will end partying after picking up the European Championship trophy on Sunday.

The biggest challenge for the players ahead of facing Germany seems to be fending off the ticket requests for sold-out Wembley.

It's the hottest ticket - the chance of seeing any England senior team pick up a trophy for the first time since the men at the 1966 World Cup.

Only after the game will the players be able to fully mix with their families again. Family members have only been able to see players at a distance in recent weeks due to COVID cases in the squad.

The outsiders they've been able to relax with at times, briefly, are COVID-tested members of the media. Taking up the squad-media challenge on a basketball machine on Friday was Jill Scott.

Naturally, Scott won. Just as she is hoping the Lionesses do on Sunday.

The 35-year-old can regale the squad stories of the last time they reached a Euros final - when she was in the team that lost to Germany in 2009.

"It just makes us feel really old, to be honest," the midfielder said. "They want to learn about the history of the game. I keep on telling them that getting to finals isn't just the norm."

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She said head coach Sarina Wiegman has been the "driving force" behind the team's ascent to the final.

"I don't even think she realises how good she is," she said.

Scott said that despite a lot of media focus on the country's long-standing rivalry with Germany, England will "pay them the most respect" but they're "just another opposition".

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