Alex Greenwood could play a key role for England at the World Cup. third-place team at the 2015 World Cup, Alex Greenwood knows all about going to major tournaments with England. Now, as she heads towards her fifth major final with 75 caps, she wants to help newcomers to the block feel at ease as the Lionesses fly to Australia.
15 people from a team of 23 go to their first World Cup, seven of whom have played no more than 10 caps. Greenwood wants to share his experiences in Canada in 2015 and in France in 2019 as they compete for worldwide fame.
«It's about giving them enough information and understanding to make them feel more relaxed, relieving pressure rather than provoking it,» the 29-year-old told Telegraph Sport. “It naturally comes with experience. It's about making the girls feel like it's not a stressful situation anymore.
“For my first world championship, I don’t think there was any feeling of nervousness, because you kind of have nothing to lose. The [new] girls came in and almost naturally adapted to the expectations — the most important thing is that they like it.
“The players I was with in 2015 took very good care of me and now I feel the same sense of responsibility for the girls for whom this is their first World Cup. I will always be the one to talk to the girls on a level, trying to understand how they feel and make them feel ready, because if we get the best out of everyone, we stand a better chance.”< /p>
Trying to create an environment where young people feel relaxed, comfortable and can enjoy football is an ideal that she has also applied in her newly created academy for girls aged six to 16: AG5 (she will wear the number five jersey). for England in the World Cup, and the five is also their number on the shirt at Manchester City).
some excuse not to play football,” says Greenwood, laying out the reasons for his desire to create an academy for girls. “This is what I always wanted to do.
“The biggest goal is to make girls feel more comfortable and create opportunities for girls. In some parts of the country, we are probably losing a lot of women due to [lack of] opportunities, and I just wanted them to have somewhere to go, so that they had the opportunity without any pressure. If a star comes out then it's brilliant, or if more than one comes out then it's amazing, but if the girls are just having fun or chatting then I feel like it's still a winner.”
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AG5 opened this summer in Manchester, but Greenwood plans to expand across the country and abroad, just one way she thinks she can pay tribute to the sport. This is what the entire England team is trying to do, and fellow defender Lotte Wubben-Moy inspired the team to sign a letter to prime ministerial candidates last summer calling for equal access to sports for girls in gym class, and their vision is the world. in which all girls can play.
“This is what we all strive for as a team, and everyone does it differently,” she says. “I chose this path [academy] because that's what I'm passionate about. [Growing up] we didn't have a lot of players so my journey now looks a bit different than the girls because the number of players is bigger now but that's what we want, we want competitiveness and we want more women plays at a high level.”
Greenwood, who says she looks forward to every aspect of the World Cup other than the prospect of facing a crocodile, has never known anything other than playing in the final stages of major tournaments. After three consecutive runs to the last four, England were victorious in last year's European Championship. This success has generated high expectations before the World Cup, but inside the team it does not bother.
“After taking it one step further, as we did last summer, we felt, ‘We finally did it. But that [hunger] feeling, I don't think it will ever change, you can't go to a tournament just to participate,» she says. “To be honest, nothing changes, except for the title of European champions. Our goal remains the same, the result we want remains the same, the work ethic remains the same, the attitude and application remain the same.”
Copy of the World Cup Predictor Promotion
Away from the field, that high work ethic holds true for Greenwood. In addition to building her academy, she has also been busy co-creating a jewelry collection with Abbott Lyon called «Lyonesses». Involvement in jewelry design is an example of how much her life and that of every Euro 2022 winning Lioness has changed over the past 12 months, but she chooses her designs carefully.
“The opportunities we've had since last summer have been exciting, but for me it's always been about what I really enjoy – I don't do it just because it fits the bill. I will never do something because it is available, I will always do something that matters to it or matters to me.
“Honestly, I am very happy to see the reaction. I think jewelry defines the type of jewelry that I like to wear and that many athletes would like to wear, and it suits everyone.»
However, as she heads down, her focus is on a different kind of silverware.
The full Greenwood jewelry collection is now available at https://www.abbottlyon.com
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