‘Pressure is a privilege’: Daly focuses on World Cup after Euro 2022 success

Rachel Daly is relishing the target on England’s back as the European champions look to book their place at next summer’s Women’s World Cup, starting against Austria on Saturday, but is sad that the team must tackle this challenge without the retired Jill Scott and Ellen White.

A draw in Wiener Neustadt, against opponents beaten 1-0 at Old Trafford in the opening game of Euro 2022 and by the same score at the Stadium of Light earlier in this qualifying campaign, would suffice to seal the Lionesses’ spot at the finals in Australia and New Zealand, with a home game against Luxembourg next Tuesday still to come. Victory in Stoke in the latter match would be enough for qualification, should Austria triumph on Saturday.

“Being the ones to beat comes with winning, it comes with success,” said Daly. “It’s a target on your back, but pressure is a privilege, and we have to see it as that. Of course, there will be pressure on us but right now we’re focused on qualifying for the World Cup.”

It is important that England live up to their new title and put on a strong performance against Austria, said Daly, but she added: “I don’t think anything needs to change. Off the back of a successful summer we know what we need to do, we know what Austria is about. The focus remains on how we can control the game. Yes, it’ll be a tough game but one we’re more than prepared for.”

Daly says life has definitely changed for her since England lifted the European Championship trophy for the first time but she could not have envisaged just how much it would be affected until she stepped outside the safety of the team’s seclusion. “During the Euros we were in a bubble, we didn’t really see a lot of the outside world,” she said. “You got glimpses of