Since the Arsenal star made her England debut this past summer, Beth Mead has experienced a few bizarre situations. Let’s look at Beth Mead’s interview and learn about her journey. A journey from being a spoiled brat to becoming an England icon and the best winger in the world.
In Sarina Wiegman‘s first tournament in command, she helped the Lionesses win the Golden Boot and Player of the Tournament honors and then took off for Greece for a well-earned rest. When she went to pay for her meal one night out, she discovered that “a nice English family” had already paid for her meal. She says laughing at the memory, “I still don’t know who they were to this day because they paid without informing me!” But a big thank you to them.
When she got back, she was at the Emirates cheering on Arsenal as they played Fulham in the Premier League. She describes it as “a weird sensation” to stroll around the pitch wearing full Gunners gear but to find that she was just as frequently asked for pictures with visiting fans as she was with home supporters. These players were thrust into the spotlight this summer, and Mead was far from the only Lioness to deal with greater media attention than before.
In fact, one of the more unusual incidents involved Ella Toone, who started the scoring in the final and was photographed by a national newspaper while eating a pasty. Mead chuckles as he declares, “The utter laughing stock of England camp.”
“I distinctly recall entering the previous camp and Sarina asking, “Anything funny happened?” Yes, I was caught eating a pasty while going down the street, Tooney exclaims. In a way, it’s not surprising since England was cheered on by unprecedented viewership and attendance numbers as they took football “home.”
Mead started each of the six contests and contributed six goals and five assists. Her form, which continued from her best season wearing an Arsenal jersey to date, was unstoppable. So it’s funny to think back to when she originally joined the team at age 21. Her move to London would bring a change in positions that have, over time, seen her become one of the best wingers in Europe. She was a free-scoring No. 9 with Sunderland.
But six years ago, she wasn’t very excited about the new position.
“I was a No. 9 from the under-10s to the age of 21. I only ever knew that. But I added some fresh components to my game.
Mead makes fun of the fact that “my not being a little brat” was the secret to the switch’s success. She notes how one of her strongest skills in today’s game is knowing how to attack opponents one-on-one and how her pressing, positioning, and crossing have all improved. She says of the latter, “I’d like to think it’s one of my strengths now.
Of course, having such a significant impact on club and country requires a lot of game time and, thus, a lot of recoveries.
Mead had developed a methodical approach to the game, so when Katie McCabe, a teammate from Arsenal, stated that she was wearing WHOOP, a fitness monitor that tracks recuperation, sleep, and everything in between, Mead was immediately intrigued. She now joins a remarkable list of professional athletes who regularly utilize the tool, including Patrick Mahomes, the Super Bowl-winning quarterback, and football players Gareth Bale and Robert Lewandowski.
Mead claims that it is one of her most important tools for healing. “Since we are currently playing so many games, it has been quite crucial for me to try and get it perfect. I suppose I have some influence over it. On a football field, there are things you can’t always control, but off the field, you can. WHOOP has been crucial for me in that regard.
“Last season was really busy, and then came the Euros. Knowing how much sleep I get and how stressed out I get before our games helps you understand how well you recover from each day in connection to your sleep and stress patterns. Before every game, I make sure to do a green recovery, and so far, touch wood, I’ve played football quite consistently over the past five years.”
Now that England has won the Euros, the World Cup will be their main focus in the summer of 2014. The Lionesses have scheduled friendlies against elite competition before the competition. The current world champions, the United States, who defeated the Lionesses in the 2019 semifinals, are the first to do so.
“I believe you want to position yourself well. They will participate in the World Cup. We could potentially play them again. We need to test ourselves at that level because international teams will differ greatly from clubs in Europe. But if we did defeat them, it would make a beautiful statement.”
Since they first met three years ago in France, a lot has changed. Both have different players and coaches, and England has won a significant event. It is obvious that the Lionesses are better both individually and as a team. Mead is only one illustration.
We may be learning something new every day, but for now, I’m just enjoying my football. I’m content. That’s the primary concern at the moment, and my football play and mannerisms reflect that.
“I believe that there are times when you simply need to remove all of the distractions and expectations. I began playing football when I was six years old because I simply adored the game.
I used to be a small child who just wanted to run around, and now that I’m playing like a six-year-old again, I kind of have that renewed respect for the game.
On the field, you can most definitely see that.
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