Ella Toone has stressed England are set to head into this summer’s World Cup still well-equipped to prosper despite the injury setbacks that have been “really difficult to take”. Skipper Leah Williamson and Fran Kirby have been ruled out of the tournament in Australia and New Zealand by injuries, while Beth Mead, who claimed the Golden Boot and player of the tournament award when the team won the Euros last year, may also be missing. Toone, scorer of the opener in the 2-1 victory over Germany after extra-time that clinched the trophy at Wembley, told the PA news agency: “The injuries are really difficult to take. “No-one ever wants to see team-mates and other players have bad injuries like that. So it’s been difficult, and players that are a massive part of our squad. “But we have to focus on what we have, and that is so much talent within the squad. We have young girls coming up now into the squad who have unbelievable talent. “So I think for us it’s about going there, being confident in ourselves and each other, and hopefully we can do the nation proud again. “We know what it takes to win a trophy and how it feels once you win it, and we want that feeling so many more times for our country. So it’s about going there with that belief, belief in the squad, in ourselves, and just playing the football we love playing. “We know we have a target on our backs now but I think as players we thrive off that.” England’s lengthy unbeaten run under boss Sarina Wiegman came to an end in their most recent outing, last month’s 2-0 loss to Australia in Brentford. Toone regards the defeat as “a useful thing”, adding: “We lost, and that’s part and parcel of football. I think you learn so much from games like that, and it probably came at a perfect time for us. It’s definitely not a worry, and we’ll learn from it.” The 23-year-old Manchester United star was speaking at the unveiling of the ‘Ella Toone Pitch’ at the new William Fosters Hub in Ince, Wigan, a short distance from her home town of Tyldesley. It is one of 23 Football Foundation-funded pitches that will be named after each of the Lionesses from last summer’s Euros triumph, with Jill Scott’s having been the first unveiled in February. The pitches are part of the Football Foundation’s ‘HERe to Play’ campaign that celebrates the charity’s commitment to delivering facilities providing equal access to women and girls playing football. Toone said: “It’s amazing. Growing up and starting out my football journey, I never once thought there would be a pitch named after me – it’s an honour.” Developments since the Euros have also included the Football Association reporting increased female participation figures, and the announcement of a Government package to boost school sport and equal access to it, as well as record attendances at women’s games. On the overall picture of the impact the Euros win has had, Toone said: “It’s been amazing. I think for us, that’s what it was all about – obviously we wanted to win the tournament, but how can we really help women’s football grow? “After the win it’s blown up massively, but for us, it’s about keeping our foot on the gas and using our platforms as best we can to really help grow the game. I think for us it’s always about equal access for girls and boys and hopefully we can get many starting out on their football journeys.” The unveiling of the 3G pitch came as the Government announced funding of £64million, working alongside its Football Foundation partners the Premier League and the FA, to build and upgrade 1,600 grassroots sports sites across England this year. Facilities in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will benefit from £3.8m being invested by the Government in partnership with the FAs in each home nation. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport said at least 50 per cent of investment will be spent in underprivileged areas. Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer told PA: “It’s really levelling up across the country. It’s really important because some young people will want to be the next Ella Toone, Harry Kane or Jill Scott, and these facilities will enable them to do that.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Kyle Steyn admits Challenge Cup final loss a bitter pill to swallow for Glasgow We will find each other – Erik ten Hag sure Marcus Rashford will agree new deal Steve Cooper says Forest must take care of their own business

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Beth Mead says she is rediscovering the joy of football after a year shaped by loss and grief. The last time Mead played at Wembley, her mother, June, was still alive to see it. Wembley was the scene of Mead’s greatest triumph, when England won the Euros and she finished as the tournament’s top scorer and best player. What followed was the toughest year of her life, as she ruptured her anterior cruciate ligament and then lost her mum after a long battle with ovarian cancer. But on Friday, Mead has the chance to return to Wembley and make her first appearance for the Lionesses in 385 days. It is another significant milestone, both in the resumption of her career as a footballer, and in her grieving process. While she has required emotional resilience, Mead is proud of her journey and believes her mum would be too. “Growing up I would say I was mentally quite weak,” Mead says. “I’d like to think the things I’ve dealt with have made me a stronger and better person.” Injury not only robbed the 28-year-old of a place at the World Cup, it also took away an outlet in which to process the loss of her mother. Instead of having that focus, Mead was limited to a repetitive cycle of rehabilitation, a routine she got through along with her Arsenal teammate and partner Vivianne Miedema, who was sidelined along with Mead after rupturing her ACL a month after she did. There were dark moments during rehab but Mead says those bad days feel in the past now she is back on the pitch and doing what she loves. On Sunday, Mead scored her first goals since returning to the pitch, in Arsenal’s 3-0 win over West Ham. She dedicated both to her mum, and it was a moment she had waited 11 months for. If that finally provided some closure, returning to Wembley is set to as well, even though it is the place where they shared some of their happiest memories. As with scoring her first goals, it can be a reminder that her mum is not there to see them and that can make it difficult as well. But Mead is back and the Lionesses have been lifted by her presence ahead of a pair of must-win fixtures against the Netherlands and Scotland. England manager Sarina Wiegman didn’t want to rush her return and said the forward needed more time when she named her squad for last month’s double-header against Belgium. But as Mead got minutes off the bench, and then got starts, the confidence returned. “I’ve been feeling more like myself again,” she says. Instead of being in Australia with the Lionesses this summer, she was at home watching the World Cup on TV with captain Leah Williamson, who suffered the same injury four months after Mead. If missing the World Cup was cruel, having to watch as England narrowly lost the final to Spain was just as hard. The match was a tough watch for them both. “We struggled,” Mead admits. “We just want to help the team do the best that they can do. We got that taken away from us.” How England are in need of the return of the Euros golden boot winner. Defeat last month to Belgium left the Lionesses in third place in their Nations League group, with top spot required to secure a place for Great Britain at the Paris Olympics next summer. (England are the country nominated to qualify for the Olympics on behalf of Team GB). But England, who have lacked a spark in games since the World Cup, must now beat both the Netherlands at Wembley and Scotland at Hampden while hoping other results go their way. Mead, who missed out on the 2020 Olympics after she was controversially left out of Hege Riise’s Team GB squad, famously sparking the form that led into the Euros the following summer, is as motivated as anyone to get the job done. Now she returns to the Lionesses with a renewed perspective, taking to each training session with a sense of fresh enthusiasm. “I feel like a kid again,” she says with a smile. After all, the thought of returning to England was Mead’s motivation during rehab. Now Wembley also offers a meeting that perhaps Mead could not have dared to hope for during the dark days: the chance to face Miedema on the pitch when the Lionesses host the Netherlands, now both players have recovered from their ACL injuries. Even thinking about those moments with the people who lived and breathed what Mead went through during rehabilitation is enough to make her emotional. “I think it’s a nice moment for both of us,” Mead says. “It’s a hard journey – who does their ACLs at the same time? We’ve seen the good and bad days from each other. But I’m proud of my journey and I’m very proud and happy to have had the support around me that I’ve had during this time. I feel very lucky and blessed to have had that.” Read More WSL and Women’s Championship poised to break away from FA The sporting weekend in pictures Beth Mead scores first goal in over a year as WSL top three maintain momentum

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