Bethany England: “I’m ecstatic, it’s been a long time coming”

Ahead of the trip to Walsall, we sat down with Bethany at Hotspur Way to catch up on her first week at Spurs and more.

Bethany, can you tell us about your first week at Spurs and how it’s been?

It’s been pretty intense. It’s been lovely to finally meet all of the girls and get on the grass. The most important thing for me is getting on the pitch and doing what I do every day. It’s been lovely to do some more team bonding stuff. The girls have been able to see more of my personality and what I’m about, so it’s a good start.

What impression have you got from your new teammates on the pitch?

They’re very competitive, just like me, but it’s evident that they want to win and strive to be the best every day. Being in an elite environment like this, you need to keep performing so I think having that mentality in the games is what you need.

How beneficial has it been to have a relationship with the likes of Rebecca Spencer and Drew Spence already, as well as Rehanne Skinner?

Knowing some of the girls prior has helped quite a lot. With Drew obviously there’s only been a short break but I’m happy to be reunited with her. I know Becky and I’ve played with Amy Turner before, so it makes it easier to gel and settle in. I’ve still got a long way to go in terms of getting to know everyone, but it’s off to a good start.

We’ve got a big game against Aston Villa this weekend. How excited are you to get out on the pitch?

I’m absolutely ecstatic. It’s been a long time coming for me to go out there and feel like I can play. They’re going to be a very tough team. You can see that they’ve strengthened as well in the transfer window, so it’s going to be a good game to watch and I’m hopeful that we can go out there and get the job done.

They have some players who you know well from your time at England. Will it be nice to see them given what you achieved together in the summer?

Of course. It’s nice to see anyone get a good move and get the minutes that they need, so I’m hopeful we can have a catch up after the game but as long as they’re happy playing as well, that’s what we all want.

They’re not a team to be underestimated are they?

No, not at all. You look at Rachel Daly at the minute and she’s in fine form in front of goal. She’s a great player and they’ve got a lot of pace up top so that’s going to be a threat to watch out for. Hannah Hampton is in goal and I’ve played against her a lot. She’s a great goalkeeper, so they’ll give us some problems for sure but hopefully we can deal with that and put the threats onto them.

What would you like to achieve this season personally?

I just want to be the best Beth that I can on the pitch and find the happiness in playing. Once I feel happy and I’m confident, I know that I can add goals. Hopefully the goals will come but I’m trying not to put too much pressure on myself, because taking on that can make you underperform, so I want to do my job for the team first and foremost and then hopefully the goals and everything else will follow.