Maya Le Tissier targets England squad spot ahead of Euros after ‘bittersweet’ World Cup experience

MAYA LE TISSIER has some bittersweet and blessed memories of being connected standby for Lionesses work astatine past year’s World Cup successful Australia. 

Now the WSL’s youngest centurion is determined to nail down an England squad spot astatine adjacent year’s Euros.

A standout debut play astatine Manchester United, after a July 2022 move, resulted successful Le Tissier joining Aston Villa’s Lucy Staniforth and Man City’s Jess Park connected Sarina Wiegman’s standby list. 

The versatile defender, who joined from Brighton, helped United decorativeness 2nd successful the league.

While the WSL ace was not portion of the 23-strong radical that reached the World Cup last won by Spain, she played her portion disconnected the transportation helping team-mates hole for the contest. 

Le Tissier, who has 4 caps, recalls: "When Sarina gave maine the telephone to accidental I was connected standby, it didn’t consciousness similar it past but it was inactive a large achievement. 

"It was decidedly hard to take. It was bittersweet.

"I loved Australia and being astir the girls. They made it consciousness similar I was portion of the team. 

"I didn’t cognize what the vibe was going to beryllium similar to beryllium determination connected standby, acceptable to spell if idiosyncratic got injured. 

"You don’t privation anyone to get injured but you privation to beryllium astatine the World Cup, truthful it was truly difficult. 

"Helping the girls hole for a large tournament, I was truly blessed to play my part.

"hopefully adjacent clip I tin play an adjacent bigger part."

The adjacent tourney accidental for Le Tissier could travel adjacent July erstwhile England conflict to clasp their Euros crown pursuing their 2022 triumph.

Since their historic July 31 win against Germany, who they play connected Friday astatine Wembley, Le Tissier’s vocation has gone from spot to strength. 

The Guernsey-born defender, who was successful the stands astatine the stadium watching Ella Toone people for the Lionesses that day, is present Man United’s captain. 

This follows establishing herself arsenic a first-team regular and playing successful each of the Red Devils’ top-flight games since joining the club. 

Le Tissier adds: "When Tooney scored that goal, I was like, ‘she’s going to beryllium my team-mate!’

"Toone ever comes up successful the large moments, you tin ever spot her. I was watching from the stands. It was truly special."

Back successful December 2018 Le Tissier made her Women’s Super League debut playing for Brighton against Chelsea.

Back past the squad were managed by erstwhile England brag Hope Powell.

Last Saturday Le Tissier made her 100th WSL quality erstwhile Marc Skinner’s United drew 1-1 with the Seagulls astatine the Amex. 

A effect that near United 3rd successful the array earlier the planetary interruption and her aged broadside sat fourth. 

Le Tissier said: "I really didn’t adjacent cognize that until aft the crippled and past I saw a photograph of maine successful a Brighton garment and maine successful a United shirt. 

"I thought ‘that’s truthful weird that I’ve travel backmost to the Amex and made my 100th appearance.

"I consciousness precise grateful to the coaches, to Hope (Powell), to Marc (Skinner). 

"They enactment their spot successful maine adjacent erstwhile I was a kid and astir apt making excessively galore mistakes.

"But they trusted maine to play successful that presumption and to assistance the team. 

“I loved my clip astatine Brighton and I emotion my clip astatine United, it’s been truly bully for maine truthful far.

"There’s inactive a batch much I tin bring and a batch much games for maine to go a amended player."

Having go a WSL centurion Le Tissier would emotion to bash the aforesaid successful an England shirt. 

The subordinate who made her elder England debut successful a affable gully with Norway 2 years ago, past featured for the squad successful a Euros qualifier decision of the Republic of Ireland successful July.

She hopes to get the accidental to beryllium portion of the Lionesses squad battling for Euros glory successful Switzerland adjacent summer. 

Le Tissier adds: "Playing successful a large tourney with England - that’s what we each imagination of.

"I’ve been truthful close, but inactive truthful acold distant and I decidedly request to amended my game. 

"I volition bash everything I tin this play to enactment myself there. 

"It would beryllium ace special, particularly if immoderate of the United girls hopefully person a bully play and get picked for England. 

"I’ve been adjacent but not successful determination truthful I would truly similar to cement my spot. That comes with performances.

"I’ve played a batch of games now, truthful I don’t deliberation there’s adjacent a question astir experience. I tin decidedly bring that."