'It's the big boy' - England captain Leah Williamson says Lionesses 'need to be ready' for 2023 World Cup

ByAlexander Netherton

Updated 21/08/2022 at 14:05 GMT

England captain Leah Williamson was instrumental in the Lionesses' first major international trophy when they beat Germany in the final of the European Championships earlier this summer. However, Williamson is looking to that success as a template to be repeated at next year's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. The 25-year-old joked she would "pack it in there" if her team won the tournament.

England captain Leah Williamson says winning the World Cup would be the culmination of another "dream".

Williamson's Lionesses won their first-ever major tournament with their European Championship title earlier this summer, earned following a seismic 2-1 final win over Germany.

In so doing they created a new buzz around women's sport in England, and they now need a point against Austria in their penultimate Group D game qualifier on September 3 to ensure they go through to the World Cup - due to be held in Australia and New Zealand next year - and the possibility of a momentous trophy double.

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Speaking to Sky Sports, the 25-year-old Williamson said her team will try to repeat their approach this summer for the upcoming World Cup.

She explained: “Before the Euros, we had a dream and we focused on the day every day to then even get in a position to go and be able to do it. Then once we got to that final, obviously we just made sure we turned up and brought it home.

“I think with the World Cup, it will be the same. From now until then, it’s a dream – of course it’s a dream – but everybody that goes there will want to win it.

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“It’s the big boy, isn’t it? We need to be ready.”

Williamson joked that winning the World Cup would lead her to “probably retire, just pack it in there,” but pointed out there was much more to achieve for women’s football.

Leah Williamson of England lifts the UEFA Women's EURO 2022 Trophy after their sides victory during the UEFA Women's Euro 2022 final match between England and Germany at Wembley Stadium on July 31, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty)

Image credit: Getty Images

She said: “The growth of women’s football is so quick, but also we have so much further to go, so we’re constantly trying to evolve the game and take it to the level that it needs to be to compete on the world stage, which obviously we’ve now done.

“But I just think there’s so much more room for growth as well that we have to just keep pushing so that when we do something like this, it does feel like more than a trophy because it’s not just 90 minutes on the pitch, it’s an everyday choice that we make to commit to growing the game.”

Looking back on the summer, she admitted: “I don’t want it to ever sink in. The day I wake up and I go a day without thinking about it, it will be a sad day.”

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