Just the ticket: Ella Toone splashes out for England’s Old Trafford opener

The dreaming is nearly over. Ella Toone, a Manchester United player and fan, has bought the extra24 tickets for family and friends and sustained the superb form to play her way into contention as one of Sarina Wiegman’s game‑changers. Now she just has to turn up at Old Trafford on Wednesday and, whether starting or coming on, do her thing. She will feel at home, after all.

England face Austria in the opening game of the biggest Women’s European Championship yet. The Tyldesley-born playmaker admits she fantasises about celebrating scoring with a knee slide in front of the Stretford End but now that the reality is approaching, the Lionesses having travelled from their Staffordshire training base to Manchester on Monday, Toone finds herself serenely living the moment.

“Stepping out for England at our home Euros, opening the tournament at Old Trafford, is going to be amazing,” she said. “For me it’s just excitement. I’m just so proud to be able to go there and represent England at a major tournament at my home stadium. I just can’t wait.”

The 22-year-old attacking midfielder has played at Old Trafford twice – behind closed doors against West Ham in March 2021, then in front of 20,241 for Everton’s visit 12 months later – but opening a major tournament in front of a capacity 74,120 crowd at the stadium where she goes to cheer on her team on her days off could frazzle the minds of some.

“You’ve got to take these moments because they don’t come around often,” Toone said. “We’ve sold out Old Trafford; we’re playing for England in our home Euros. These are once-in-a-lifetime things. I have played there but it’s going to be totally different [with] a lot more fans. There might be a few nerves but the most important thing is that