Sarina Wiegman took over as Lionesses dominate with one specific target. Her mission - and she chose to accept it - was to lead England to glory in the abode Euros.

She had done it earlier, of form. She led her native The netherlands to Euros success when they hosted the tournament in 2017 and was seen by the Football Association as having the experience and know-how needed for a team packed with talent and potential.

England ace Ellen White has hailed National Lottery players for helping her reach her dreams - and spoken of her excitement at the adjacent generation of female football stars.

Thanks to National Lottery players, over £50million* of funding has been raised for women'south football over the past 10 years, helping players develop at all levels of the sport across the country.

Star Ellen - England Women's all-time leading scorer, with l goals in 105 appearances - was speaking alee of the UEFA Women's Euro 2022 while meeting grassroots footballer Marty Trivonova (to a higher place), who plays for National Lottery-funded squad Actonians LFC.

The 33-year-old said: "Information technology's vital for lottery players to see where their money'due south going, how it influences sporting success and actually changes people's lives. The National Lottery isn't just about big wins and making winners astonishingly rich. Information technology's put £50million into the women'south and girls' game. I want to read about how information technology's helped young girls who now play football. They're the stories I desire to hear - they're powerful, they're inspiring."

For more than information visit national-lottery.co.britain/summer-of-sport

*Based on figures from Apr 2012 to March 2022

Wiegman, 52, really saw her role with England's women as a wider brief in line with the FA's hope that, as tournament hosts, this summer tin accept a huge impact on the women's game. The former PE teacher is at present but 90 minutes away from lifting the bays at Wembley on Sun.

But she is already well on her way to achieving the target in the other part of her job because this tournament and the Lionesses' success has been a game changer. At that place have been record viewing figures, sold out stadiums and it definitely feels like a moment in time for the women's game. The buzz effectually the England games has been infectious, the interest is growing and that will surely take a positive result on how many girls take up the sport and also for attendances in the Women's Super League. And and then much of that credit must come downwardly to Wiegman. Last time, England went for a "name" in Phil Neville and, amidst 3 semi-final defeats in a row, the ex- Manchester United defender only not could not inspire the Lionesses to get across the terminal hurdle.

In contrast, Wiegman had a big reputation within the women's game, was a trailblazer as a player - becoming the first woman to reach 100 caps for Holland - and was always destined to exist a coach. She went to the Usa as a teenager, saw at close hand the potential for the women'south game inside colleges and that was her sold on the idea. She started out by juggling her job as PE teacher only got her start fourth dimension coaching role in 2007 with ADO De Haag and has grown always since.

Holland were hardly cherry favourites when they won the Euros in 2017 but surprised everyone - not to the lowest degree England in the semi final - to win it equally Wiegman showed she could handle the pressure and expectation of being tournament hosts. This is where her best quality is. She has a very calm demeanour, she has a knack of lifting the pressure level off the players and, while Neville was probably better for a soundbite, Wiegman positively enjoys maxim very petty. She can see the questions coming a mile off at printing conferences. They have got more obvious and desperate as the tournament has gone on, because as the hype builds she wants to subdue it. "Yes, I desire to make history and make the country proud," she laughed before the Sweden game in answer to yet some other admirable question searching for a headline. She gives very lilliputian away.

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England breezed into the European Championship final with an emphatic four-0 win over Sweden before this week (

Image:

Getty Images)

Her real quality is on the pitch and the training pitch. Players talk well-nigh her preparation being faultless, sessions being well drilled and they are well coached. Players want to play for her. She identifies areas to exploit - and the players know exactly what to do. Norway was supposed to exist a difficult game, a potential banana skin against a very highly regarded team. England won eight-0 but the victory was all down to the tactical plan. Yous cannot ever meet the subtleties on the TV. Just there was a gap between the Kingdom of norway left back and centre half that England exposed fourth dimension and time once more.

They had conspicuously had the tactical programme imprinted on their brains - and they absolutely destroyed Norway down that channel. It may seem pretty basic only you rarely run into a flaw and then patently exposed in a top-form game. Her use of substitutions has been unrivalled in this tournament. She has started every game with the same XI. That is ready in rock. But it is a squad game because she has used her subs brilliantly to alter games, influence games and find goals. That is again her attending to detail. She positively railed against a question when asked whether she had become more strict equally the tournament went on. She definitely does not want to be seen as a disciplinarian.

More than relaxed even though she wants rules and the players to be focused around the team hotel which, in credit to the FA, is a perfect basecamp with activities like an arcade basketball game and volleyball to keep them busy and occupied. Dressed in her modest £80 M&S ability accommodate, she talks directly, is very forthright in her views but likewise has a softer side. Her sister passed abroad simply weeks before the tournament and the players asked Wiegman if they could wear black armbands in tribute for their friendly against Kingdom of belgium in June. It was conspicuously a gesture which meant so much and goes such a long style to revealing the respect betwixt the manager and the players. And ultimately that is the central to Wingman'south success.

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