Beth Mead hungry for more after triumphant season with club and country

Beth Mead is heading into the new season feeling hungry for further success after the glory she tasted with England this summer.

The Lionesses surged to victory at Euro 2022 to claim the first major trophy in their history with Mead having a starring role in the campaign that saw her end up with the Golden Boot, having scored six times, and the player of the tournament award.

After a well-earned break – including a holiday in Greece where she says there were “a lot of grown men coming up to me saying they cried when we won” – the 27-year-old Arsenal winger is now preparing to return to action.

On Wednesday, England boss Sarina Wiegman names her squad for a double-header of qualifiers against Austria and Luxembourg on September 3 and 6, in which the team will look to seal qualification for next summer’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

The 2022-23 Women’s Super League then gets under way the following weekend, with Arsenal – runners-up last term – opening by playing at Manchester City on September 11.

And Mead, who was in great form for club and country across 2021-22, said: “I loved last season, probably one of my best on a football pitch career-wise, and for me, it’s just (feeling) hungry – you want more.

“I’m very motivated and hungry to try to replicate and do it all over again. There’s a little bit more pressure maybe, but I’m looking forward to it.

“You get that feeling of winning something and you want it more.”

Regarding England, she added: “Maybe when we meet up on camp we’ll sit as a group and think ‘wow, we actually did this’. But now we want to do more.

“As athletes we never sit back and are content with anything. Yes, we’ve won a Euros, we’ve inspired a nation. But still we want more.”

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