Hinderwell's Beth Mead speaks out on role as England Lionesses prepare to take on Italy
Hinderwell’s Beth Mead has spoken about the role she’s been playing in the UEFA Women’s Euros with England Lionesses just 90 minutes away from back-to-back finals.
Having come from 2-0 down to see off Sweden on penalties in a dramatic quarter-final, attention now turns to tonight’s (July 22) semi-final clash with Italy.
Victory for the Lionesses would see them into the final to defend their title against either Spain or Germany.
Hinderwell’s Beth Mead, 30, was player of the tournament and golden boot winner in the last tournament, but has had to be patient so far this time, starting just one of England’s four games so far.
She played a key role against Sweden when providing the assist for England’s equaliser, netted by her Arsenal club team-mate Michelle Agyemang.
Speaking to BBC Sport, Mead said it was a case of being ready to go into the moment.
"You've got to be ready to go into a position that you might not want to play or don't normally play in and that was what was different for me [against Sweden].
"I ended up playing in midfield as a number six and then I was a number 10 - I changed position a few times in the game and I loved it.
"I love being able to do what I can do for the team but they're the things that you have to be able to do as a player."
The game kicks off at 8pm and you can see it on ITV1 and ITV X, with build-up from 7pm.