That Lionesses Podcast - Esme & Aggie: Star Signs, Ice Baths & Card Game Chaos | Ep.2 That Lionesses Podcast Connected by EE

Episode Date: June 6, 2025

They’re fearless on the field and full of insight off of it - Esme Morgan and Aggie Beever-Jones join Harriet Rose to talk about the realities of training, recovery and life as a Lioness. From unconventional rehab hacks to the demands of elite-level prep, they reveal what it really takes to compete at the top.  Plus Harriet teaches them a thing or two about star signs… but just how good at guessing is she? Follow @lionesses on Instagram, WhatsApp and X, plus @england on TikTok, Facebook and YouTube so you don’t miss a thing! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Is anyone else like obsessed with their dynamic? You two are so lovely. That was really cute. What's your star signs? Oh, if you're a fire sign, then you're a Leo. Yeah, I am. I had to go head first into the ice bath. Did you feel like your brain was exploding? I think you're just going to shock. I'm not going to lie.

I'll do an ice bath. I don't care, mate. No. Cut to me screaming the house down. Hello and welcome back to another episode of That Lionesses podcast connected by EE. I'm Harriet Rose and as we edge ever closer to the women's Euros this summer, we're going to take a look at what it takes to prepare for a tournament of the highest level. Today, we're heading behind the scenes with England where training is intense.

Recovery is practically a science, and the tech, let's just say it's giving sci-fi. This is how the best get tournament ready, and it's anything but dull. And here to share all the insider knowledge is the wonderful Aggie Beaver Jones and Esme Morgan. I'll clap for you. Clap for each other. It felt like Aggie clapped for Esme, but Esme clapped for herself.

Yeah, she was very relaxed. I don't know where the influence is coming from. Yeah, she was very relaxed. I did not. I didn't know where the information was coming from. Listen, it's your first time on the podcast. You're allowed to make mistakes.

Yeah. Welcome to both of you. Thanks so much for being here. Now, if I say tournament training to you, what comes to mind instantly? Focus and competition. Ooh.

And intense. Oh, wow. I love it. Keep going. I like it um tactics yeah um i'd say winning just because we obviously won the euros winning i like that um esme you've been part of the lionesses squad for a few years now um how has your approach to the tournament prep changed with your experience? That's a great question.

I feel like I've always approached things kind of the same, just trying to understand my role in the team, working hard every day, constantly trying to review things, improve, find learning. So I don't think over the years it's changed a great deal to be honest I think I can draw on experiences from previous major tournaments like at the World Cup the noise inside the stadiums were just incredible and I feel like that experience helped to prepare me for what might be to come in future and so I'm really grateful for those experiences but I think prep wise you're always just trying to evolve and

constantly find improvement absolutely I mean Aggie this is still quite new for you at a senior level how different does it feel from the development team camps that you've been part of before yeah I think for me obviously I'm quite lucky I came through the pathway at England so I feel like the transition is always a little bit easier just because I think at the 23s they prep you for obviously the moments when you do get obviously the call up but um I think for me I'm just trying to be a sponge in this environment I feel like I'm still quite young and I'm learning a lot and I think I've been in the setup for nearly a year now um and I think each camp I'm still learning still learning off people on and off the pitch and just making sure I'm ready for whatever happens really well we're all always learning hun every day's a school day for a lot longer than that yeah

yeah it's only a year of the furniture are you two quite close in camp do you feel like yeah actually it's quite awkward in the studio right now it's very frosty yeah we have matching hairstyles I know it I know, it's quite cute, guys. I'm into it. No, but seriously. Yeah, we do. It's May, actually. Yeah, and I feel like we've had a few arguments through card games,

but that's just us because we're competitive. Okay, is this this weird partners game? No, we don't play that. We play Legretto. But it gets very feisty, seriously. What's Legretto? Sort of, it's like speed, snap. Chaos.

Speed, snap? Yeah, it's like speed, snap, chaos. Speed, snap? Yeah, it's kind of like snap with numbers. Is this just like snap for adults then? Just really, really fast snap? Yeah, but a bit more chaotic. There's like, if we were playing on this table, it would be all over the table. Right.

It's not just one little area. Maggie's really good to the point sometimes she's faced accusations of cheating. Exactly. We're just like, there's no way you've done that. But then everyone loves it. Like, it is really good. You should give it a go.

We play for hours. Okay, well, maybe you guys can teach it to me. We'd love to. Okay. Maybe here. No, maybe not now. Yeah, imagine. We're actually going to cut the podcast here.

We're just going to play Speed Snap for the rest of the day. But on a real note, Esme is actually lovely. Like, I feel like when I did come in, you were really, really nice to me. And it made it a lot easier. So that's as nice as I'll get for today and Esme what tips you have for Aggie for dealing with say for example things like that level of noise and stuff like that the big moments that you it's kind of like that thing where you can prepare and prepare and train but there are some things you cannot emulate in a on a pitch training ground I think we're very lucky now that at club level we get to play

in those environments obviously you play at Stamford Bridge in front of tens of thousands so it's not going to be anything out of the ordinary but I think when it's an international tournament and you're hearing your anthems and the passion of your own supporters it's really special special and like a goosebumps feeling but I feel like that's something that just drives you and you kind of thrive on as professional athletes we live for those precious situations and they're the most fun games to play in so Ags just has to do what she does best score goals take people on be confident and yeah she'll be absolutely fine does anyone else like obsessed with their dynamic you two are so lovely that was really cute it's very nice my heart is warmed um moving on moving

on from my warm heart i'm sick of it so to start off i thought it'd be a bit fun to give the fans an inside look at what training and tournaments look like with the lionesses aggie we're at st george's park right now the home of English football, and it's absolutely lashing down. Yeah. For those that might not be familiar with this place, talk us through what makes it so special and iconic. Oh, I mean, for me, like you said,

it's the home of English football. And I think it's, yeah, one nation. And I think firstly, the facilities and everything is absolutely crazy. I think we have access to arguably some of the best pitches and that's just the start of it we have I always say it wrong cryotherapy cryotherapy um hydro I think obviously the Hilton as well where we stay and for us it's I think we're very lucky and we're yeah we're extremely grateful for the

facilities we have and I know for myself I come here and every time I'm still a bit like wow or I've been I've gone somewhere new which I'm still like this is crazy to me but um yeah we're very grateful that we have it and for us we're allowed to be able to play our such great football in such a great place I love that I may it never change for you I think it's so nice that feeling of like when you're here to have that special warmth inside I hope that never changes Esme playing football is presumably only a part of what happens in training talk us through what other physical training you do the drills the gym like what's maybe rank it if you want hardest to easiest oh gosh I think are you scared to say in case your manager sees this

easiest but very important is the stuff we do before training so we'll always kind of go up into the gym foam roll stretch out do activation exercises often everyone's got little niggles or issues that they're carrying or have carried in the past so you have specific programs to best prepare you for training and then on pitch is probably the hardest because you know we're working hard we're running around a lot it's intense there's a lot of competition and then after training we'll go into the gym and do our programs so that's tough too I mean sorry that sounds like training and then training again. Yeah, it is really. Pics training, gym training.

You should do that on a day in the life, I think. I feel like you're being mugged off there, guys. Oh, you take me through a gym session. I'd enjoy that. That would be so funny. I think you'd laugh a lot. Let's do that. Okay, if we go to Switzerland,

if I see you there, you have to do a day in the life of me. Put me through my paces, yeah? And then we'll do a day in your life oh my god you're gonna love it guys you are gonna love it

I hope you like lying down I do I love an afternoon nap do you? yeah I love tell me your top nap tips I can't nap but I'll let you have this conversation

no we can train you I can I really didn't used to be able to that's what I can do I can train you how to do naps because I used to be able that's what i can do i can train you how to do naps because i used to do a breakfast show on radio girl i can nap the house down boots i will teach you how to do that it's quite a specific isn't it quite a specific like skill okay so

we've got a deal yes okay perfect you're gonna train me like an england lioness and i am gonna train you like a really really good na napper. Okay, perfect. Perfect. Okay, perfect. Who would you say in the team takes training and the gym and all that process the most serious? No smiles. Oh, in that sense. Oh.

No smiles. You know, who takes it most seriously? We've got quite a jovial team, to be honest. That's a tricky one. We're very competitive, so no one likes to lose. We've got a lot of grumpy people if we lose. I'm not happy. Yeah, I think we all are.

Yeah. Are you both grumpy? What's your star signs? Yes. Oh. Throwing it back at you. Well, Aggie, that's an interesting thing to say. Guess means that suggests.

What does that suggest? Potentially. Well, I don't think you're a fire sign. I think you're too... I don't know what I... What does that suggest? Well, I don't think you're a fire sign. I think you're too... I don't know what I... What does that mean? No, I am a fire sign. You are.

If you're a fire sign, then you're a Leo. Yeah, I am. Just like me. Well, then I can just say you're not a fire sign. The only reason is because you're too nice, but then I realised I'm nice and I'm a Leo. Oh, when's your birthday? 8th of August.

When's yours? July 27th euro final oh my gosh that's an incredible day i could okay well let's make sure we get there but she guessed that oh yeah well done i'm not really into this stuff but can you guess mine okay i think you're really chill um and relaxed you're quite a laid-back person that's the vibe i'm getting sometimes yeah but you're competitive but you're competitive which is means could you be a capricorn no are you fire water or air i have no idea okay i don't understand this stuff i know what i am you're born see i feel like i've done it once now and now i've failed now i'm failing that's okay you and aggie are the same so you could like reflect

or do you know i only know leo to be fair let me guess taurus no no she's tauraurus or a bit more... No. Sagittarius? No. She's not fire. She's definitely not fire. Cancer? No. Aries? No. Wait, when... Your birthday. Pisces?

Aquarius? No. You've named all of them except the only one. What the hell are you then? Are you born? Yeah, Libra. Oh, I meant that. Oh my God, that makes sense.

Very balanced. Can you tell me what that means? Very balanced. Okay, yeah. Very indecisive. Can be. Yeah. Deciding where to go for dinner. Yeah, that makes sense. Very balanced. Can you tell me what that means? Very balanced. Okay, yeah. Very indecisive. Can be. Yeah. Deciding where to go for dinner.

Yeah, that's classic Libra. Classic Libra. But ultimately very equal, so you can see both sides of an argument. Yeah. But also you're very driven. Oh, yeah. There you go.

And that's the end of Horoscopes Hour with me, Harriet Rose. Aggie, what else happens in a typical week that isn't physical training what else do you guys get up to oh you were mentioning hydrotherapy oh yeah and psychotherapy and physiotherapy or whatever all the therapies what is it chiro you just can't get your head around that one it's one of those words I just know yeah I know what you mean though once it's in your head you're like i'm never gonna say it yeah but no we get up to i think off the pitch it's a lot of meetings do you do ice baths yeah i try not to i really don't enjoy being cold maybe that's another thing

i'd rather not i love you can get in what oh yeah you should go in the ice bath i'll do an ice bath i don't care mate no i'll get right in the ice bath alright then then it's cut to me screaming yeah you dip a toe in and you'll think no I did an ice head bath just for my face oh is that

do you do that in the morning yeah it's really good for you isn't it yeah when I do like early breakfast and I'm waking up at 4am

I'll put my face in ice and I cried a little bit I'm not sure the ice bath's for you then how do you think I'd get in how do you think I'd get on in the lionesses I'd be like oh can I tap out i want to go get a burger that's why i'm hearing that you're there

guys okay esme you studied sport and exercise science still doing it legend course yeah oh my god girl give yourself a break but okay um how have you used what you've learned in your degree to help you in the lionesses? Are you helping the other girls? Are you teaching them? Well, sometimes I'll come out with medical terms. Like what? Give me an example. Or like vastus medialis is one of your quadricep muscles.

And I said it the other day and one of the girls was like, really? And she was like, Vasco is slightly way up here. But it helps when I'm talking to the physios because then I can like be specific about where I'm feeling pain and they can also go yeah they're like we're on the same page yeah so that's really helpful yeah how are you getting on with studying whilst doing all this good honestly sometimes it's quite difficult because it's online. So I have to be really self-motivated.

And I go through patches where I fall behind. So honestly, I really need to get back on it this camp. Classic Libra. Yeah. Classic Libra. I was going to say balancing the football and the study shows. Libra. Okay, Aggie, yes.

That was really what I was thinking about then. I'm going to teach you guys so much about style signs this series, honestly. Can't wait. What do you do to relax and recharge? What's your zen sort of activities? Oh.

For me, it's definitely... I'm like a morning person, for sure, so I'm like, get my coffee and go for a walk. I think we have a little group chat that we go on morning walks, so I definitely say that.

I've heard about these walks. They do wonders, honestly. Yeah. A little mental health walk. Yeah. And it'll blow out the cobwebs. on morning walks I definitely say that I've heard about these walks they do wonders honestly yeah little mental health walk yeah and they'll blow out the cobwebs yeah

you yeah I suppose not joined us on the walk just yet but maybe but I respect it she's a chiller I mean to be fair

she's literally doing a university degree whilst also playing in the lionesses so I mean go off queen but also we've all got our moments

so yours is to walk and then what else do you get up to to keep kind of... What do you need to do when you need to chill out? Do you watch films? Yeah, I do love a film or a series or just... I think for me, like, calling my family is a big thing. I think for me, that's where I can kind of turn off and just...

It's always nice. I'm like, just talk to me about your life away from football. Like, it's nice to kind of have that outlet for sure. But then equally, I love a card game. But then I wouldn't say that's very relaxing that's not relaxing it's far from it so yeah but sometimes taking your brain out of what you're doing is relaxing because I for example like to watch horror films to relax oh I'm judging real hard I could never do that I don't care actually because I love it so much and I know it makes me a bit of a freak but i love it so much really but whatever works for you i literally relax watching scream i've never watched aggie

has lost all respect for me i haven't lost i just i could never kind of psychotic like i get scared watching jaws is that scary yeah but like i could never watch a like about a haunted house we'll see i'll train you up girl don't worry um nutrition is a big part of training how different is your diet now compared to when you were starting out do you have to be careful now we're like and mindful about how you fuel because you guys need to eat a lot of fueling foods right yeah i definitely say i think for me i've learned a lot over the last few years about fueling your body and it's never as easy as like oh you just need to eat. It's more about like carb loading, especially if you're playing.

Oh, my dream is to carb load. That's my dream. I mean, you can. Maybe I can, but it doesn't have the same effect as it does for you guys, I fear. Also, carb loading, you can't just have like 10 burgers, can you? It has to be like rice or something boring. A big bowl of pasta, though, and I love pasta. So match day minus one is a great day, isn't it? It is like rice or something boring. A big bowl of pasta though, and I love pasta, so match day minus one is a great day, isn't it? It is, match day minus,

and the chef, we have a brilliant chef. Apple crumble. Apple crumble. I love apple crumble. Esme, what's your go-to carb load? That like pasta, big cheesy pasta bowl. Big bowl of pasta,

like carbonara type, and then, sorry I don't like carbonara, but I'll let you have that, carry on sorry thanks you're allowed to not like it it's okay yeah we won't i remember that in case i bring you any snacks i won't bring you carbonara yeah and then apple crumble and custard i love it it's giving school dinner but i'm really here for it like that comforting school dinner comforting

the chef is unbelievable yeah i feel like the chef's going to watch this and be like, who's she talking about? Esme, you've previously spoken about your meal plan has been based around your menstrual cycle, which is incredible. I think it's so important that we discuss how amazing it is. I mean, you see these TikToks now that are like, get your boyfriend or your girlfriend

to cook you a steak on the first day of your period. And I'm like, wow, I didn't even realise that for me. Now I do it every time I'm about to go on my period. I'm like, let me get a massive steak. But that's what you need to do. It's like refill that iron. But why aren't we like, we don't know, I feel like we don't know this information young enough, you know, how important is it for you to speak about that so that, you know, we can actually share that information? It's really important because as you say, speak about that so that you know we can actually share that information it's really important because as you say it's not something that you're taught at a young age and having not being if I wasn't in the football environment I wouldn't know it at all so

we're really lucky that we get access to experts in this field who can educate us on these things and like in the first phase of your period, your inflammatory responses are really high. So you need tons of anti-inflammatory foods, fish, loads of fruit and stuff like that. So having that knowledge and being able to make a conscious effort to increase intake of certain things is so helpful. I think it's amazing.

And also, I just think we should talk about it more. Periods are normal. I thought you were going period. Period! Period! Literally! about it more periods are normal we i thought you were going period period so yeah i think it's becoming less of a taboo subject but there's still work to be done but just normalizing the conversation is really important yeah i agree and it's i think it's wonderful that you talk about it so thank you as uh as a spokesperson but also as somebody that young people are going to look up to i think it's wicked so thank you for that um aggie if england had a team cookbook what would your signature

recipe be called okay let me think about this no but think about it like what would your signature recipe be called so it's got to be something to do with you and then you can tell us what it is oh gosh putting you on the spot here babe you are a little bit um can be aggies amazing that's i would crumble that would be yours i think yeah i think well it could be aggies excellent enchiladas oh that's good i can do a good enchilada can you yeah i love mexican food as well but i couldn't get agita into a thing so i just oh i like there we go agitas agitas what's the meat that's going into the agitas chicken oh lovely bit of chicken um recovery is a big part of training some Some of it is very traditional,

but with the rise of tech, there are a lot of new innovations, aren't there? So I've given you a bag with a load of different recovery methods in. You're going to take it in turns to pick one, read it, and then tell me what you think of it and your experience of it. Give me a story.

Give me something that's related to it. Ready, steady, Aggie. Right, me. Perfect. here we go drum roll oh getting excited i've got two out ah talking of which ice baths ice baths was it you and neve who lost come oh yeah this is kind of that story okay you know the game odds on no what's, what's Odds On? So you're saying like, so Odds On one to five. Yeah, Odds On one to five for me to jump in the ice bath. Three, two, one, two.

And if we got the same number, I would have had to do it. Anyway, me and Niamh, obviously being me and Niamh, me and Niamh are a little like weird duo together. Love it. We're playing Odds On and all the girls were in the hot tub in the middle. And then basically I had to go head first into the ice bath. Nido's got it on video, yeah basically head first yeah did it feel like your brain was exploding I think I think you just go into shock I'm not gonna lie I was freezing cold did you go

straight from there into the hot tub no I wasn't allowed I don't think you just jumped straight in I think I just weren't allowed that makes me sad I I'm the young one, you see. I'm going to cry. Oh, Aggie, stop. She is not mistreated. Mistreated. Call me a rebel. Single tear rolling down her face. That's really sad.

It's your go. Right. Compression boots. Oh, I like the compression boots. Tell me what the hat they are, because I've seen them. They're big, full-length boots. They look like space boots. And they basically just squeeze gradually all the way up here all the way up your leg to flush out all the bad stuff oh it's nice because you can just relax stick them on

chat watch something while you're doing them i need to get a pair of them compression boots are a great method yeah because i work really hard on the pitch and all well after you've done the day in the life we'll put you in the compression booth oh my god you better not try and put me in an ice bath

oh yoga are you yoga girly um namaste I am sometimes yeah namaste I am a little bit but I'd say I'm a bit

more of an ice bath girly after going in oh so you're a nutter is what you're saying yeah basically have you seen that I would love to do i really want to do puppy yoga i feel like you should just go and hang out with some puppies

guys you don't need to do yoga as well no one actually does you feel like you've earned the puppy play time if you've done the yoga has got a cat a little kitten though so maybe we could just adopt pictures after we finish this podcast i would love to i've got a fully grown cat but i want to see your kid oh um guys we've run out of time it's been such a pleasure to have you there's more recovery nerves in here

I know well don't worry babe maybe I'll get some inspo for tonight I'm around all season so you can see me what should we be doing we should be

they won't stop playing guys I don't know what you want me to do Esme and Aggie acupuncture oh I love acupuncture chiro therapy did I say it right

no cryo cryo but I love it that you. Chirotherapy. Did I say it right? No. Cryo. Cryo. But I love it that you even thought you said it right. Girls, you've got to go. Stop trying to get me in trouble. Oh, okay. Sorry.

Aggie and Esme, thanks so much for joining me on that Lionesses podcast connected by EE. They're probably never going to leave because they're going to continue to play that game over on the sofa. And you love spending time with us, correct? I do actually

all the best for training we will be thinking of you as you prefer for the tournament this summer and if you enjoyed today's episode and just can't get enough

make sure that you subscribe on the YouTube channel because we want you to keep coming back for more thank you so much for my amazing guests

everybody fantastic to Aggie and yeah Es to Aggie. And that's some Harriet. And yeah, Esme, Aggie and Harriet. The triple threat you never knew you needed. Exactly.

Mic drop.