That Lionesses Podcast - Grace & Alessia: Confidence, Lake Swims & Spikeball Drama | That Lionesses Podcast Connected by EE

Episode Date: July 3, 2025

Off the back of their first training session, Grace Clinton and Alessia Russo join Harriet to spill the tea on how it went and how they’re dealing with the heat in Switzerland - spoiler, it may include the famous Zurich lake…  Plus they get real about confidence on and off the pitch, what games have been keeping them busy in camp and how Alessia has been rooting for her brother in the Love Island villa. 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

We played a little spike ball tournament last night and Maya and Chloe Kelly were like winners by a mile. No, not by a mile. They beat me by two points. Yeah, but we then beat you so then you're third. We beat you? No, you didn't. Yes, we did. We won. You've got memory loss.

I try and just work really hard and then kind of leave no stone unturned. Oh yeah. I'm as confident today! What is a song that encapsulates how you're feeling in training right now? Work, work, work, work. Is it Work by Rhianna? Work, work, work, work. Work, work, work.

Hello and welcome to another episode of That Lion Lionesses podcast connected by EE. I'm Harriet Rose and we are just days away from England's opening match against France in the Euros. It's all starting to get very real. Coming up, we'll be hearing how training is going, how they're dealing with this heat, and we'll be talking all things confidence. And joining me today for all this are two incredible Lionesses. It's Alessia Russo and Grace Clinton. Welcome, welcome, welcome.

You guys have been in Zurich a couple of days now. How are you finding it? It's gorgeous, isn't it? It's very beautiful. It smells beautiful. Do you know what I mean by that? It's like everything is just nice. It feels really clean, doesn't it? I feel clean just being here. Me too.

I heard you all went on a boat trip yesterday. Some of the girls were heading off after we recorded the pod. Did you get in the water? Did you have a dip? Was it good? Did you have a good time? Yeah.

Yeah, but we wanted to jump off the boat, but they wouldn't let us. Safety concerns. Yeah. Don't want you breaking a leg right now. Okay. Fair enough. Bigger fish to fry right now.

The water's so nice. Yeah. I feel like it's nicer than seawater because you know, all like salty when you get out. Yeah. Do you miss the taste of the salt though? Oh, I hate that. That's my worst thing about going in the sea.

Talk me through that honey, because I don't know whether that's nice. I feel like it's dirty because it's not salty. You know, it's not pure. I see what you mean. Salt does clean it, but people still pee in both. So, either way. Either way, even if it's got salt in it, it's still got pee in it.

But I feel like drinking seawater isn't really a top tip, I would say. No, no, just the taste. I did that when I was a kid once accidentally, and I threw up straight away. Yes, did you get a little, yeah, and I threw up straight away. Yes. Did you do it? Did you get a look? Yeah, and then yeah, yeah, yeah, it is horrible. But the what did you not think the water was clean yesterday? It was beautiful. It was beautiful to look at. I just couldn't wrap my head around it wasn't salty. Yeah

I do know what you mean No, no, I know what you mean. I also feel like because I live in London and I live near the Thames I'm like, well, I wouldn't be you couldn't pay no No way. Whereas we do have to get our minds around the fact that I think it is actually not the Thames and it's actually quite clean and it's nice. It was beautiful.

Yeah, it was. Yeah, I feel like the lifestyle here I could get accustomed to just going swimming. Apparently people go swimming on the lunch break. That's unreal. Well, I said like, it was a sunny day yesterday. If it was a sunny day in England, like the most we could do is probably go to the park.

They can go there. Yeah. Every day. They can go into the water. And that's the problem. When people say that we complain about things being hot in England, it's because we have nowhere to go. Yeah.

We can just lie on the, hopefully you've got like a floor that's like stone or not carpet, you can just lie on that. Yeah. Yeah. My apartment gets so hot when it's sunny outside. Really? So you're having a welcome break whilst you're here. Yeah, we've got air con here, so it's great. Loving it. Well, talking of the heat, actually, it is obviously very hot in Switzerland.

How is that affecting training? Is it is it having a big impact or is it kind of good that you've got the heat to kind of get you to that high level of training right now? But both, I think.. Today it was really hot but then like it's not gonna be hotter than that in the game because we're playing later and I think it's supposed to cool down a little bit so I think it's good to have it now at like the highest temps and then go into the game feeling a little bit better. Touching on the heat Lucy and LJ came on the pod and

they were talking about you being an amazing hugger. I experienced it. It was amazing. But how easy is it to be huggy in this heat? Because I mean, people want even less when it's hot, right? Yeah, they do want it less. And to be fair, when I'm a bit sweaty, I wouldn't inflict that on someone. I do. Yeah. Yeah, I don't care. Fair enough. I'm not a very nice person though, that's where that comes from. But do you sort of embrace it, the tactile energy, even when it's hot or cold? Because you've got to keep that morale up for the team, right? Yeah, I mean there's definitely a certain few that get it more than others.

But actually, can I just tell a little story? A sad story. Please. Me and Lesley hadn't had a hug for a little while. Obviously I've gotta, you know, share the load. And then one day Lesley comes to me and she's like, I haven't had a hug off you yet. So you know what?

They love me. She neglected me a little bit. You did give me one this morning though, didn't you? Yeah. But this is the thing, when you take it away, that's when you notice it. That's when it's gone. Yeah, I love Grace's hugs yeah I'm an advocate because I don't get them off Toonie. Toonie hugs everyone else apart from me

and I'm a best mate. Even Toonie makes me feel awkward when I hug her sometimes. Yeah she's like you'll literally be one second too but. I think the pat on the back is one of the hardest things to deal with. That's like get off me now. Get off me. I'd rather you physically shoved me, to be honest. I'd rather you just were like get off. I mean it would feel less painful. Yeah. Well I'm glad you're getting your daily dose, that's great. Make sure tomorrow don't miss out. We're obviously days away from the first match against France. How has training shifted like this close to the game? Yeah I think so and I think as today comes everyone's really locked

in and like there's lots of details and lots of different parts of training that you really need to concentrate on so I think yeah there's a shift now and it's all focused on on Saturday and then going forward the rest of the group games but yeah there's definitely now a switch like we're in tournament it It's all focused on on Saturday and then going forward the rest of the group games, but Yeah, there's definitely now a switch like we're in tournament It obviously starts today with some of the games and I think Everyone's just looking forward to it as someone who's obviously never done a training session in an international tournament Don't know if you knew that guys. I Love physical training though nothing to any comparison

I'm sure to what you guys do, but I'm interested to know, are there any like drills from hell that you actually secretly enjoy? Cause like, for example, for me in the gym, I weirdly really like doing ab stuff, like crunches and things, cause it kind of hurts in like a fab way, do you know what I mean? Is there any of those for you? I'm actually quite the same, like we have like this little,

we'll have a name, like something every day and we'll do like, maybe nine letters and we'll do different ab exercises, all nine, and like afterwards we all feel like, where's the middle? Yeah! Yeah, it's kind of weirdly satisfying. What about you?

I actually don't hate the bike. Like I feel like I hate, like I don't enjoy it when I'm on it, but once I'm off it I'm like, oh I've like I hate, like, I don't enjoy it when I'm on it, but once I'm off it, I'm like, oh, I've got a sweat on, like, I feel better for it. Do you have tricks in your brain? I, when I first, because I was not a girl at school that liked the gym, I was like actively punished because I was really like, I will walk this run.

But then when I got a bit older, I started to like do mind games to like get me through the training. Is there stuff you do in your head? Like I'll be like, okay do two minutes and then when you've done two minutes There's only eight minutes and then we've done four minutes as I do. I mean, yeah I think we all would do that in the running like I think you strategize Yeah, and just like plan it in your head like if we have a fitness test and you have to do,

I don't know, at club we do like a 10 length pitch run. So you have to go up and down 10 times and I just count it down in my head. Like there and back is one and you can kind of tick it off. See, look, even the professionals do the fun little games in their head. I spoke to Niamh and Mayer about recovery on an earlier episode

But now obviously you're away from St. George's Park Recovery looks a bit different. I've seen there's a there's a cryo van I'm assuming you guys brought that and it wasn't just some random holiday maker. No, it's yeah He's going around with all the teams thing, but I think you should try that I would love to yeah Yeah, get a little vlog camera. That's a mind game. Yeah. Is it? It's really cold. Oh it's not nice. No. You know it's like you have to put like gloves, hat, you can't have like. Extremities showing. Yeah. Because you freeze in there. Yeah. Me and Jess had to sing Adele the other day to get through it. What one? Um. Have a sing it first. I don't really know the name of the song. Never mind I'll find.

It was! It was that one! I was standing outside the van. Great man, think alike. Yeah, but I do that, I do, weirdly, this is not a joke, but I do a cold shower in the morning and I'll do, na na na na na na na, na na na na na na. Because that really, you can shout that without really thinking about the lyrics. Yeah.

Because you don't want to get too much of a complicated lyric in there when you're trying to get through that. When you're dithering in the cold shower. And that just like relaxes your muscles, does it, after like a big training session? Yeah, it's supposed to like reduce like your lactic acid and reduce doms basically.

Doms. It means delayed onset muscle soreness. Oh, I get that. Yeah. Okay, so that helps it stop it just being in a nice cold. Do you do cold showers and stuff? I love a cold shower. Apparently very good for dopamine.

And skin. I can imagine. Yeah. Yeah. Have fun. That's what we need to be getting in the lake every day. If you could both summarise the feeling in training training right now coming from the Adele chat with just one song

What would it be? The feeling. Yeah, so we've got let me give you some examples You could be like we are the champions queen you could be good as hell Lizzo You could be formation Beyonce just the feeling of like what is a song that encapsulates how you're feeling in training right now Work work work, work, work. Is it work by Rihanna? Work, work, work, work.

Work, work, work. I feel like. Work, work, work, work, work. An interesting take on, maybe perhaps a remix. Work, work, work. Sounded very robotic. It was just sort of like an alarm going off rather than a song.

But no, but I'm sure Rihanna, if you're watching, she loves this podcast, Rihanna. Yeah, I thought she might. Yeah, she loves it, she's a big fan. So Rihanna, get on the remix. So you would say work by Rihanna. What about you both? Maybe Happy by Pharrell Williams. It's by Pharrell Williams.

That's cute. It's very opposite. But I mean, like yeah. But it's both true. Yeah, together I think is nice. Like we're working hard and I think there's lots of excited feelings going into Saturday as well. And do you know what I'm feeling like since we've arrived here and like we haven't, we've only done two podcasts, you guys being the second, but the energy, I've seen some of the girls around the hotel and stuff. You guys are just so in sync and you're so, you have each other's backs and it's so beautiful to see. And it feels that you can be in the mood of happy and work at the same time.

You know what I mean? It's got that energy across the board. It's so nice. Yeah. I think when we're on the pitch, we're like Grace's work. Work, work, work. But then off the pitch, we just enjoy being around each other and there's like, the hotel's beautiful. There's loads of outdoor space and people can just get a coffee.

We played a little Spikeball tournament last night. Yeah. Oh. Who won? Was it teams or was it? It was teams and Maya and Chloe Kelly were like winners by a mile. No, not by a mile. They beat me by two points. Yeah but we then beat you so then you're third. We beat you? No you didn't. Yes we did. We won. You've got memory loss. We beat you by two points remember? I thought we won. Hey.

It was last night. Alright we'll have another game tonight. Sorry we're getting a bit competitive. We're all winners here. Yeah. Except for me, I have nothing to do with winning. I'd love to talk to you a little bit now about what football means to you and like how it's shaped you as a person.

Let's get into a little bit of the- Gosh we're going deep now. We've just had a little chin wag and now we're... No, I'm getting your feels. You brought up Adele and now I wanna all have a group cry. Alessia, what is your first memory of having a ball at your feet? Probably two that come to mind.

One was like anywhere in the house with my brothers just playing football, kicking it in probably the living room and mum shouting at us to not break anything. And also I remember like being a kid and going to my brother's games when I was a lot younger and my dad was the coach and I wasn't allowed to join in because I wasn't old enough.

So I was just kicking the ball on the side, waiting to one day be invited in. But yeah, I think ever since I can remember I've always loved having a ball at my feet and yeah just playing as much as I could. I really now I'm like envisaging little Alessia like you know like against one of those big walls because she's not allowed to join in just kicking the ball against the wall waiting to be let in. Yeah I don't often get angry but I was probably angry then. Frustrated? Yeah, frustrated. Wait, look at you now.

Look at you now. Grace, what was it like playing football as a teenager? Was it nice to be good at something and have a confidence at a young age to kind of put your energy into? Yeah, I think it was like a bit of both. I think, like when I was growing up, when I joined like Everton Academy and stuff like that, it was was really football

or be a normal kid type thing. So obviously I couldn't stop thinking about football. When I was in school, I couldn't concentrate very much. Yeah, I was so active and fidgety. When I played football, it was the only time really when I could just not think about loads of things and stuff. So it was definitely nice to have something that sort of gets you in a flow state but then obviously you miss out on other things like I was playing Friday

like Saturday Sunday yeah you don't really get your weekends on that but I wouldn't change for the world because I loved it. Well I think it's like a lot of kids have sort of you could call it like a hyper fixation when you're younger like a thing that you do and it's when that thing passes through the teenage years that you know it's gonna fit and stick because I've got like my I remember my mate used to play beyond go horse riding and as soon as she was introduced to boys she just stopped and it's like one of those things as long as you get through those teen years you know it's like gonna lock

in but it's so cool to kind of put your energy into something and have that as a kid because I with my energy was playing detectives which I don't think really has helped me I mean maybe it has because the researching people but in your line of work you have to have a lot of confidence and it's such an important factor what do you do to keep your head in a positive mindset it's not always easy no it isn't always easy and I think everyone probably thinks that we have that figured out and I'm sure some people do but that's probably something that I've found hardest in football is to like back yourself like you should but I

think for me I just try and work as hard as I can in training and in like games and I think that that gives me confidence because I know that I've done all that I could, if that makes sense. So yeah, I think for me, rather than, some people can like self-talk and that, I'm not very good at that. So I try and just work really hard and then kind of leave no stone unturned.

Is that right? Oh yeah. That's his confidence today! So yeah, that's kind of my way of thinking about it. I love that. That's a great saying by the way. Leave no stone unturned. Fit perfectly into that.

Yeah. It does, it's absolutely perfect. And also like, you are a legend and an icon and you've done so much. And so to hear that, I think it's really great for the fans watching to hear you speak about how you work on your confidence because you've done so much, you've achieved so much. No stone has been unturned, if I've even quoted it correctly. And it's like great to hear that you are just doing your best, working your hardest,

and that's the way you get what you want. Yeah, I that's just what you have to do isn't it? And I think in football there's so many highs and lows and uncontrollables and things like that that just focusing on yourself sometimes is important to yeah like learn what works for you and it didn't work when I was younger when I was your age I had no idea what I was doing. Definitely as I get older but you've got a wiser head than me at your age to be fair. Thanks Lesley girl. Grace is really mature. Well I feel like...

Sometimes. Sometimes is a big highlighted word there. Oh and what happens in the other times? She's not mature. No I just want to have fun. Just yolo. But I think Lesley's like one of the hardest working people and it's so funny, you know when I watch you're like on the pitch

and I was like, she'll go into like massive tackle and the next minute she'll just get up and turn around and run back and be like, you know what I mean, like, I'm like sick. Yeah. Also, isn't it amazing to be on the pitch with the people you're looking up to and that works in all age ranges, all levels of experience. It's like you could have a young player that's come on for their first game and be looking at them going, wow, that's sick. Like the same with every player on the team. It feels like you all look at each other with this sort of like admiration

and respect. It's really amazing. Yeah, for sure. You're a very close team, Grace. Everyone can see that. How does it feel to have a whole team of players that have your back? Feels amazing. But we'll stop. No, I'm joking. No, I like that. I like that. If you want to leave it there, I love it. No, it is lovely. I'm quite social now, but I can really go to any group in the team and have a nice time. And yeah, like you said, I think the most important thing is that respect that we've

got for each other, that everyone is so good. And I look at a lot of people in the team and I'm like, yeah, wow. So I think it comes from that. And admiring each other builds up a lot of respect. I also think it makes life easier. I think in any place of work, in any realm, if you can look at your colleagues and you can look at the people around you,

whether it be your mates or the people you work with and be like, even if they're doing something you wanna achieve or they've kind of got the thing that you're looking for, looking at them going, well, if they've got it, I can have it. And if I've got it, they can have it. And if I've got it, they can have it. And if we've all got it, then we've all got it. And that is that's a great thing.

Yeah. Harriet Rose, twenty, twenty five. You can put that in Wikipedia. But you know what I mean? Like, it's like a good it's a good mindset to have all across the board, I think. Yeah. And I think like we have so many different players with so much experience as well that you can kind of tap into lots of different places

if you need it. And people want to learn off each other. When you come into the squad as a young player, I mean, most of them just want to learn off the older players. And yeah, it's just a nice environment to be in, always striving to be better and I think push yourself and when you come into the squad you know that there's a standard and you've got to step up and reach it quickly because that's the demands that are put on

you. Exactly. And if you want to know more about how football can support you and help you grow your confidence, search EE Squad. Before we finish, it is obviously really important to chill out at times like these. And in the final few days before the first game, you need to feel mentally rested as well. And on yesterday's episode, Chloe and Jess told us they're watching Love Island

and they're rooting for your brother, Alessia. Giorgio. Yeah, very Italian that, isn't it? Yeah, I love it. I feel like I can't say it with an English accent. Yeah, it's very Italian. Giorgio. No sorry, did you? Even that sounds better than Giorgio. No you got it. Yeah it's a cool name. Have you been able to watch and keep up? Yeah I'm watching pretty much every night.

Sometimes on catch up, sometimes live, depending on the schedule. But yeah, it's so weird seeing him on TV. Like the first few episodes I was just sat like watching it like this, like couldn't really concentrate too much, was like dead nervous. But as it's going on, like it's becoming easier and he's doing well.

He's a true gent. So he's coming across really well. Yeah, he's a true gent so he's coming across really well yeah he's a nice guy he's a really I think probably maybe a bit too nice to be in Love Island but yeah he's a lovely guy so hopefully find someone yeah do you think he's really looking for love in there I think he's ready to settle down yeah just waiting for the right girl to come well listen if he doesn't meet anyone I've got some mates nice Nice, we can hook him up. Yeah, don't worry, we'll sort him out when he gets out

if he has any problems. It's interesting, isn't it, because having to experience that whilst alongside the Euros, I bet if you weren't here, you might be flying over as his family visit. How sick would that be? I don't think I could go in there. Do you not?

No, I'm too awkward to be in that kind of villa. Really? Yeah. walk in and just be like... I think you would, they're one big happy family. Yeah, maybe send Grace and said, yeah she'll go in hug everyone. Yeah and then leave. I would love that. What's over there? Yeah, I think it's one of those things as well if you do go in you have to then talk to the girls that have dated him and snogged him and whatever. Oh good boy when the two families... No that's not the sister's job. Imagine like, hypothetical, Lesley come on and then she started grilling the girl he was with. I would.

That would be so funny. I think I've liked every single person that one of my brothers have ever. Like my brother's wife, my other brother's wife, it's like one of my best mates. Like I'm quite an open. I feel like you're just a nice person, babe. I think that's probably what it is. But yeah, I am, I'm quite laid back to be fair. Yeah, but you're easy to get along with.

So are you, Grace. That's why we get along. See, we're all happy families here. Well guys, thank you so much for joining us on That Lioness's podcast, Connected by by EE and all the best for this weekend. I cannot wait to watch the game. So we've got another episode coming tomorrow with Hannah Hampton and Neve Child talking all things England v France. So do not forget if you haven't already to subscribe and follow because you don't want to miss a thing and all there is to say for me now is

Auf Wiederlöger, which is Swiss German for goodbye. Yes, I have been on Duolingo. Woo!