The Rest Is Football: Daly Brightness - Euro 2022 Rewind: Making The Squad, Growing In Belief & Breaking Basketball Records

Episode Date: June 24, 2025

How did Millie and Rach find out they’d made the Euros squad in 2022 and why was it slightly awkward immediately afterwards? Why was life in camp - full of volleyball, table tennis and basketball - ...the ideal environment for the team to flourish? How did the three warm-up games set them up perfectly and why was the game at Elland Road so special? In a new series for the show, Millie and Rach take us back to Euro 2022 to give us a unique insight into the camp and exactly what life was like from the Lionesses. Today we hear everything from the moment they found out they’d made the squad to the night before the first game at Old Trafford.  For more Goalhanger Podcasts, head to www.goalhanger.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Starting point is 00:00:00 Before we get into today's episode of Daily Brighteners, we just want to say a huge thank you to our proud partners, Shaw, for being with us from the very beginning and what a start it's been. I think the reaction to our podcast so far has been nothing but positive from our family, from our friends, from our teammates, from our fans. It's been really nice to see all the positive reviews and feedback, so keep that all coming. Yeah, I also think that we've probably learned a lot about ourselves and me and Rach always talk about this podcast, you know, it's more than just us chatting, it's actually like a little therapy session.
Starting point is 00:00:32 And I've actually learned a lot about myself and I feel like it's given me the confidence to open up a little bit more and show that more vulnerable side. So, yeah, it's been really, really refreshing. And we also get to appreciate all the things that we've achieved. Rach, everything you're achieving with Villa, you know, the form at the end of the season, me getting my 200th in the WSL and talking about all our accomplishments, the hard times. Yeah, it's becoming a really nice platform actually, and I'm really enjoying
Starting point is 00:00:59 where it's going. But thank you to everyone for the amazing support. So thanks again to Shaw for showing up for Women's Football and back in the pod from day one. And thank you all for tuning in. Whether it's a family member, friend or furry companion joining your summer road trip, enjoy the peace of mind that comes with Volvo's legendary safety. During Volvo Discover Days, enjoy limited time savings as you make plans to cruise through Muscogee or down Toronto's bustling streets. From now until June 30th, lease a 2025 Volvo XC60 from 1.74% and save up to $4,000. Conditions apply. Visit your GTA Volvo retailer or go to volvocars.ca for full details.
Starting point is 00:01:40 This episode is brought to you by DZONE. For the first time ever, the 32 best soccer clubs from across the world are coming together to decide who the undisputed champions of the world are in the FIFA Club World Cup. The world's best players, Messi, Holland, Kane and more are all taking part. And you can watch every match for free on Dazone starting on June 14th and running until July 13th. Sign up now at Dazone.com slash FIFA. That's D-A-Z-N dot com slash FIFA. Hey everyone, welcome to the Restless Football Daily Brightness. Rach, how are you?
Starting point is 00:02:21 Good, thank you. How are you? I'm good, thank you. You look a little bit, Jeff, what did you do last night? Nothing, thank you. How are you? I'm good, thank you. You look a little bit... What did you do last night? Nothing, I didn't do anything. Didn't do nothing. Nothing at all?
Starting point is 00:02:29 Nope. In fact, I was a daisy. Just drank water all night, yeah? All night, all night and I did not get in at half three. Let's normalise having a hangover. We're human, it happens. And for anyone listening, hungover Rach is the best Rach. She's hilarious, even more fun than me. Thank God. Thank God for the magic juice.
Starting point is 00:02:47 So, come on, what did you do? Do you know what? I just had a really nice time with some friends. Perfect! That's what we want. Just went to somebody's birthday party. I had a really good time drinking... I'm drinking a rebel. You definitely had a beer though. I know you had a beer. Do you know what? I actually had a few shandies, I'm not joking. Really?
Starting point is 00:03:06 Yeah, shandy. That's a sign of getting old. We're getting old. I just was thinking I want like a thirst quencher. I'm thirsty. Don't take much from me anymore, Millie. I'm too old for this. No, two or three drinks and we're gone. Oh, I'm glad you had a good night. Yeah, I did actually. I played some golf yesterday.
Starting point is 00:03:21 I absolutely love this game, Millie. You need to really start playing. I know, but I need to find, I'm really nervous about going to a local thing because I'm really scared of like old people judging me. Yeah, it is quite scary. Yeah, and I feel like they'll look at you and be like, what are you doing here? Like, you're crap.
Starting point is 00:03:36 The thing is, at the same time, you've got to start somewhere. They started somewhere. True, many years before me. And let me tell you, there will be worse people on the course than you. Why don't you come up to me and we'll go together? Yeah, can we? Can I come up to you?
Starting point is 00:03:48 We will probably get kicked off whatever course we go to though. Do you have to be quiet? You don't have to be quiet, do you? You can't be loud. We can laugh and stuff though, can't we? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, you can laugh. I have a right laugh. I might have to wear like a warning t-shirt, like beware, balls everywhere. Just a big cone. Please be careful of Millie. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:04:06 We'll go, we should go for sure. It is really fun. I'm too scared to do it on here. And especially in this weather, it's amazing in this weather. I need to go and get some pink clubs like you though. Pink pony club. Oh my God, I'm feeling myself today.
Starting point is 00:04:17 Do you know what it is? You know, you get in and you're still a little bit drunk and then you go to sleep and you wake up, you're like, oh my God, I feel awful. Then you get like a second buzz and you're like, I'm drunk again. Do you know what I was waking up this morning just like singing loads of songs. I must have heard them last night like, ah, but, but. Oh, that song drives me insane.
Starting point is 00:04:35 Nuts. The kids love it. Drives me nuts. All the kids love it. Yeah, hate it. While we're on that, three things that have irritated you this week, because I've had several. Let's normalise it. You can get irritated by things and it not be personal. Like it's not a personal attack. I'm not questioning you as a person, but you're irritating the life out of me.
Starting point is 00:04:52 When people ring you and they're eating on the phone, stop doing it. I can't stand it. Or when people chew. Wait, do you know that that's my worst nightmare? Yeah, when people chew bold sweets next to me and I'm like, I can hear it and I'm like. Oh, drives me up the wall.
Starting point is 00:05:07 Can you not just eat after? Yeah, like all I can hear like, it'll be like on the phone and people are like this. I'm like, what? I can't hear you, stop. Or is that, stop. I hate that. I actually hate that.
Starting point is 00:05:21 It's so annoying. Oh, well, I'm trying to think about what's happened this week that would have annoyed me. This is one of them actually. Now you've caught me off guard here. You know when you use to finish a toilet roll? Yeah.
Starting point is 00:05:33 One, I hate if you don't replace it. But two, I hate anywhere that you go in public, whatever, when the toilet roll, right, this is so, so annoying to me. How do I explain it? Say that this is the toilet roll holder, yeah? And you put more stuff in. Are you gonna say which way around the toilet roll, right, this is so, so annoying to me. How do I explain it? Say that this is the toilet roll holder, yeah? And you put your... Are you gonna say which way around the toilet roll is? Yeah, why do you do it backwards?
Starting point is 00:05:50 I know which, yeah, because one way, it flies off. You pull it a little bit and it shoots down. It comes down, that you take your pieces off. When it's backwards, it's like, why have you done that? I don't like it, really, really, really annoys me. Just put it the right way around. I've got that off my mum, that. All right, anyone out there that's working in a job
Starting point is 00:06:08 where you have to replace toilet rolls, please place it the right way around if you think Rachel Dale is gonna be using your toilet. Please. That's it though, that's my one thing. And I think it's okay to like be annoyed at situations, but sometimes people take it a little bit personal. I'm like, that's fine.
Starting point is 00:06:22 If I was irritating you, I'd rather you tell me than me keep doing it and you're just sat there absolutely raging. Oh, well, I actually hope people take the toilet little bit personal. I'm like, that's fine, if I was irritating you, I'd rather you tell me than me keep doing it and you're just sat there absolutely raging. Oh, well, I actually hope people take the toilet roll thing personally, because it's annoying as fuck. Stop doing it. Anyway, today we're gonna do things
Starting point is 00:06:33 a little bit differently. Obviously, massive summer ahead, the Euros is happening, and it's literally right there on the horizon. So, shall we take a little trip down memory lane? And yeah, I thought it'd be good to just go through kind of what prep looks like, how we were feeling, just give people a little bit of insight
Starting point is 00:06:52 into tournament football and what it's like as a player. Cause I think there's so much that goes unseen. And with the Euros ahead, we had a blast in the last one. So it's always good to talk about. Yeah, do you know what? The Euros was amazing, wasn't it? Like I have so many amazing memories from that. But okay, we'll start from the beginning.
Starting point is 00:07:09 So obviously people will be like, how did you find out? I, if I remember rightly, Serena told us one by one, didn't she? Yeah. So we were in a prep camp at St. George's Park and she gave you a time for a meeting that day. Do you remember this being like good for some and not for others though?
Starting point is 00:07:24 When it was a bit like- Yeah, it was hard hard because we didn't really know what was going off either that's the thing. No we just had a meeting time but some people would come out that meeting and found out that they were in the squad. But then people were lingering so for anyone that doesn't know at St George's there was the the we call it the drum which is where the meetings were taking place and I mean a meeting you were in there for like five minutes if that but then people were in like the lounge area just outside so if you came out regardless of whether you were in or out you had to walk through the group of people which at the time we had no idea that that was going to happen but looking back we were like oh shit we probably should have sat somewhere
Starting point is 00:07:56 else and it was like I think it was right before like a weekend off yeah like some people were just going home and like wasn't work coming back yeah so So it was quite hard for people, I remember that. Like, and you also didn't really know how to come out of your own meeting, did you? Like you wouldn't wanna be like bouncing off the walls or? Well, yeah, and if someone came out and we're told they weren't in, you didn't really know whether to like go up to them or,
Starting point is 00:08:17 that's the only bit I remember being really like awk and I was like, I felt really uneasy and I was like, shit, what do you do? Do you go up to that person? Do you give them space? You're not gonna see them again til after the tournament. So it was like, you could only imagine what do? Do you go up to that person? Do you give them space? You're not going to see him again till after the tournament. So it was like, you could only imagine what they were going through, having been told
Starting point is 00:08:28 you're not in, like it's the hardest thing ever. So, but yeah, that's how we basically got found out. And obviously when you get told, you're like, you're buzzing and it's a little bit surreal no matter how many tournaments you've been to or. I remember going into and I didn't really know what to expect. Yeah. And I was so nervous.
Starting point is 00:08:43 I was like, oh my God, oh my God. I felt like judgment day. Yeah, we were crapping our pants. Yeah, and then- It's like sweaty palms. And then Serena literally was like, oh, you're in. And I was like, what?
Starting point is 00:08:53 Sorry, can you just say that again? I was like, repeat please. I'm in, I'm in. Me, Rachel Daly, in, the squad. Are you joking? And do you remember, did they do it with the book and then you stuck your picture in? Why do I feel like there was a pan it with the book and then you stuck your picture in?
Starting point is 00:09:05 Why do I feel like there was a Panini book or a book where you stuck your picture in? Yeah, but was that straight away? Have I just made that up? No, I think you're right. Yeah, I think it was in that meeting. I'm sure it was. I can't remember that, but I do remember that.
Starting point is 00:09:16 Do you know what I mean? I can't remember that happening, but I can't remember if it was then. Yeah. So yeah, we both found out at the same time, didn't we? It wasn't like a phone call or it was just a meeting in the thing and then we left.
Starting point is 00:09:26 Which was quite, it was different I think. I don't think I've ever really had it like that. No, normally I think you just had like a phone call, no. I can't even remember, my memory's that bad. I can't actually remember in the previous ones. I'm pretty sure previous ones it's just been a phone call, but it was nice to do it face to face, but I think looking back it was hard
Starting point is 00:09:43 to know how to react to other people getting in or not getting in. I think it was probably harder as well because it's like we were on prep camps, weren't we? So we were always together and then it was like, no you're not. Anyway, moving on from that, so we found out and then I'm pretty sure we had a weekend off straight away, didn't we? Yeah. So then obviously you could, like all the announcements were happening and stuff like
Starting point is 00:10:02 that and then you had a weekend off. So the prep camps, you were normally in Monday to Friday, Saturday, Sunday off. And then on the last prep camp, you'd be there. And then that'd be you, hopefully, until the end of the tournament. And then, yeah, it's just so surreal when you're preparing for a tournament.
Starting point is 00:10:16 Like it just don't feel real. And I remember every tournament me and Rach have been to, we rang each other, what you're packing, what you got, how many pairs of this, we'd pack the exact same. If I said 10 pairs of socks, 10 pairs of socks, like however many pants, bras, like, oh, I've got this outfit for chill and we've got this and this shorts and t-shirt and we literally pack the same.
Starting point is 00:10:34 I remember one time you packed, you were like, oh, I've only packed like three pairs of trainers and then you took four and I was fuming. I was like, why did you tell me you've got four? I swear we went and bought some more though. Where did we get going? And we got those Adidas ones, those runners, those and the Crocs, but yeah.
Starting point is 00:10:51 I think the packing bit. You always had the same stuff, didn't we? Yeah, packing was quite exciting though, because you were getting ready and it was really nice that it was a home Euros because you knew you weren't going to be too far away from family and stuff like that. And if you forgot anything, it was easy to grab it.
Starting point is 00:11:05 The build up to the Euros obviously was so good though, because it was in England. There was so much hype around it. And it was just like, it was just a really big buzz, wasn't it? And then, because we were, we stayed at the Lensbury Hotel, what a beautiful place. Like it was such a great place to have base camp.
Starting point is 00:11:19 Stunning. What I loved about it, it was like, you were still involved in the public. So like, let's just preface it. Like we started there, we were training there every day. Like we're meeting the same sort of people, like it's obviously a sporty place. There's like people playing tennis
Starting point is 00:11:31 and like people coming to the spa, the gym, whatever. It was almost like people didn't really acknowledge us, I would say at first. And then it came to the games and we were winning and obviously come back there, no matter where we were playing, we'd come back to the Lensbury. And then all of a sudden people were like,
Starting point is 00:11:45 oh my God, you guys are really good. And then it became like a little like, almost like a family feel, didn't it? Like everyone was just like, oh my God, good morning. Well done last night. Like- The staff that worked there became part of the team. Yeah, the staff were amazing.
Starting point is 00:11:57 Yeah. It was so sick and opposite, I remember, because it was like that at the last Euros as well, it was still a time where like, it was still like a bit like COVID. Yeah. So it was like, we were like in a bubble still. Women's football, like I feel like women's football
Starting point is 00:12:12 just massively, massively, massively took off after that Euros. So at the start, it was kind of like, we were just sort of like bopping about, no one really knew who we were, what we were doing. Yeah, we didn't really walk around with like care in the world, we were just like, no one's gonna know us. Yeah, and then by the end of it, obviously,
Starting point is 00:12:26 after we won, it was just like, it just hit you like a ton of bricks. It just slapped you in the face like, oh my God, what the hell? But do you know what I loved about being there? Like they picked the base camp amazingly because it would- Yeah. What is wrong with our dogs?
Starting point is 00:12:40 Little Dexie. I know, mine have just gone mental. But like it was right on the Thames. Like we had the best time off the pitch. I would say like when you're on camps and stuff like that in tournaments, it's in the past you've kind of been like, oh, you can't do anything, you're down time.
Starting point is 00:12:53 Like make sure you're off your feet. Like, but it was so freeing. Like we would go on boats on the Thames. Remember we took that boat out. Yeah, it was so sick. We would go for walks around. We did all that, paddle boarding and everything. Yeah, we'd go for walks around. We did all that paddle boarding and everything. Yeah, we'd go for walks around there.
Starting point is 00:13:05 We had the volleyball net as well. Literally the whole team, all the staff, were playing volleyball. Genuinely, my favourite memory from the URAS was volleyball. That and tennis, which I think we pissed a lot of people off, to be honest. We were so shit. We were like, oh, sorry, if you just throw our balls back.
Starting point is 00:13:21 Cheers, mate. We were having a full-blown lesson behind us and we're just pouting balls over the top of the fence. But do you remember volleyball? That was sick. Like we'd just had, I think we just had like the day off. So a typical day off after a game would be recovery, whatever, get all what you need to do done.
Starting point is 00:13:35 And then you've got like the afternoon off. And I remember there was just like a bunch of us that had done like, we'd gone on a boat or we'd done something that day and then came back. And then the volleyball net was getting set up. And honestly, that was such a good memory. We'd laughed so much. Everyone was out there though.
Starting point is 00:13:50 Everyone, staff and players, everyone was there. That's the most like together. We ended up playing like 12 v 12 in volleyball. Like it was so nice. Because there were so many people on this like volleyball court. They were like, is it mine? Is it yours?
Starting point is 00:14:03 And they were like, everyone was like bumping into each? And they were like, everyone's bumping into each other because they wanted to hit it. It was so sick. Remember the little games room we had? Yeah, oh my God, yeah. We used to smash that basketball every, me, you and Ellen and Meedo every single day. And we were like, our shoulders were absolutely killing.
Starting point is 00:14:17 We'd literally come off the pitch, we'd just trained, we were all sweaty, we'd cool down. And then we'd go on the basketball and like, our arms would be like pumped, we'd be absolutely dripping again. We'd just smashed it for 30 minutes, trying to beat that record. Yeah, so for everyone, like everyone's context,
Starting point is 00:14:28 it was one of those basketball machines that you get in like an arcade and you just keep going as fast as you can to get your score up. And then I remember you and Ellen like broke that record and I was like, go on, go on, keep going, keep going. Rach, we had a routine every day. So we'd get up, we'd always have a routine,
Starting point is 00:14:46 like wellness, breakfast, train or recovery. And then we'd have the same walk every day and we'd be like, meet you at the basketball. And that was our life. It became like a routine nonstop. Some people were like, can you give it a rest? And we were like, no, we're doing this every day. Table tennis, I remember playing,
Starting point is 00:15:01 me and Hempoh played that for hours on end, but it was so good. Like it couldn't have been, yeah, 100%. That tournament was my favourite time ever in an England shirt. Like everything about it was amazing. So sick. I think the best thing for me is because it was still like a little bit COVID and we made a decision as a group that nothing gets in and nothing gets out. This is our one chance.
Starting point is 00:15:20 Like this is, this is our opportunity. It almost like everything else was like, even though we were still in England, we didn't hear any noise. Like we didn't have a clue what was going off in the pubs or the streets. Like we were like none the wiser to it. So it was so nice to be like in our little bubble. And it was so weird because we were in England.
Starting point is 00:15:37 We had that rule where no Sky Sports was to be on in the hotel anywhere, which was amazing because you were not getting like newspapers coming in. You're not getting- No. Skysports, news and all of the noise. It was just literally, we were there to play, to train, to play football, to win games, to come back, to sleep, like day in, day out.
Starting point is 00:15:54 But you do tend to go a bit stir crazy when you're away from home for that long. But- Nah, that was sick. I loved it. Honestly, I had a bit of like, I swear to God, I had a bit of like depression when I came out of there. Cause I was like, I had the best summer of my life.
Starting point is 00:16:07 Like I was like, what am I gonna do without these people now? Like. And I'm, I definitely believe that because we were so good off the pitch, it brought the, it brought like, that extra little bit of energy, that extra little bit of balls.
Starting point is 00:16:19 100%. And that fight for each other, like on the pitch. Like, because then, like when tough moments happened, they felt a little bit easier cause everyone were on the same pitch. Because then when tough moments happen, they felt a little bit easier because everyone were on the same page. We're all literally like, we've committed, this is what we're doing. People say that all the time, don't they?
Starting point is 00:16:31 They're like, oh, well, what was it? What was the secret to success in that year? And I was like, honestly, the vibe that we had off the pitch was just a joke. Being in that bubble. Yeah, I've never been on part of a team before where it's been that good. No, it was so sick.
Starting point is 00:16:43 Even like blowouts when the girls that didn't play were doing training, like the ones that played were watching and cheering. And it was just like, it just, I can't remember having a bad day. Even if a session weren't that great, I can't remember it like affecting the rest of like the day or the camp like.
Starting point is 00:16:57 I genuinely felt like I had separation anxiety when I left. I was like, where is everyone? Like now I have to go. Yeah, right, I didn't leave the house for six days after. I remember we got back and I was like, I've everyone? Like now I have to go. Yeah, I didn't leave the house for six days after. I remember we got back and I was like, I've still not left the house. I went back going, oh God, who's gonna do my washing? Who's cooking me tea tonight?
Starting point is 00:17:12 Who's cooking? What the hell is this? I'm alone. Genuinely, I was like, I don't know what to do with myself. Yeah, it was crazy. We were so fortunate in the fact that everything was obviously done for us. It was just such a good time.
Starting point is 00:17:24 And I genuinely believe that, like you say, that is the reason why we won that tournament and we won. It just felt like freeing, like after every single game, we're just like, oh, onto the next. It wasn't like, never really reflected on what was happening at the time until after. We just ticked it off. It was just like a tick box, like you tick it,
Starting point is 00:17:41 game done, tick box, onto the next, and that was it. But there's so many, so many things like, I mean, we took loads of little, everyone had their own little quirks as well. Like some people took like their own pillars or something from home or might have been like a teddy bear or everyone had something as well. Like I had pictures, that was always my thing in tournaments,
Starting point is 00:17:59 taking pictures of my family, like my loved ones having those there. But honestly, I think the best thing about yours was being in the moment, being present and being in the moment. Honestly, it still blows me away. I still get goosebumps to this day. It's mental.
Starting point is 00:18:12 Right guys, we're gonna head off for a little break. So we'll see you soon. At Desjardins Insurance, we know that when you're a building contractor, your company's foundation needs to be strong. That's why our agents go the extra mile to understand your business and provide tailored solutions for all its unique needs. You put your heart into your company, so we put our heart into making sure it's protected.
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Starting point is 00:19:36 Welcome back to the Restless Football Daily Brightness. We are going to discuss the warm-up games leading up to the Euros. I think, Millie, like those games took us in to like feeling like we were ready. But also I remember being like, oh no, like sometimes when you have such a good run up, it's like, oh no, like we've got a point to prove now, like we're actually on a good run,
Starting point is 00:19:58 but they were really good games to play in, I think, and really got us in the mood for like tournament football. Yeah, I think they were really good. I think we also faced a lot of challenges and I mean, I know the results were fantastic, but I think with that as well, like you said, comes the pressure of England are smashing it, they're going to win. Now they've beat these three teams, you know, high scoring results, like they're going to surely go all the way. So it does actually bring that extra pressure. But even in those games, I think like we still had like little,
Starting point is 00:20:26 I think we were ready. I think we'd like nailed everything that we needed to nail. But I think we conceded against the Netherlands, which I think is good. Because I always think you need to experience things as a team before you get to the tournament. But even conceding, like how are you going to bounce back? How do you react?
Starting point is 00:20:40 Like, how do we concede? Like you need to know all those things when you get to a tournament. Because if you've not experienced it, you don't know how you're gonna react. And I think the fact that like, I think that was such a big game, the Netherlands one, because we went one-nil down
Starting point is 00:20:53 and against a team like the Netherlands, like that's really hard to come back from. Yeah, they're such a top team. And then, but we didn't only just come back, we won five-one. And I think that was like, for me, I was like, actually actually we know what to do like we actually know what to do we know how to play like we just completely
Starting point is 00:21:09 turn that around obviously it was a great game for me because it was at Ellam Road. Go on my leads. It was my 50th cap, do you remember? Yeah it was sick that was like written in the stars 50th cap at Ellam Road that's sick. As if that happened by the way. To you as well. I know. No I'd'd agree. And I think we, do you know what? I think overall, even in like throughout the whole Euros, we just felt like we had that little bit of like magic where we could have been having a shit performance, but we would win.
Starting point is 00:21:35 We would find a way to win. I actually think if I would look back to that game, that was a standout for me because I remember like when we were beating Sweden 4-0. Yeah. And I looked at Leah and I was like, Leah, we're winning 4-0, like what the hell. Norway, Norway, when it was like that time, we were just, we looked into them. I couldn't even celebrate the goals.
Starting point is 00:21:56 No, I was like, is this happening? Like, how are we winning this much? Like, it was just so, I think I would go back to that moment against Netherlands when I was like, we actually just like, just turned it round like against a top team. We're able to just keep going. I think we just had that, I don't know. We just had that like, even in the warm up games, we just had that little bit of grit
Starting point is 00:22:15 and that little bit of- Bite. I was like, yeah, it's hard to, it really is hard to like explain. But anyway, I thought we had amazing warm up games. I thought we had the best prep going into a tournament possible and as a player, you couldn't feel like, you couldn't have felt more prepared.
Starting point is 00:22:31 Like everything was, you all had your own routines, whether it was your recovery, whether it was your gym, whether it was things that you were working on on the pitch to make sure you had the best confidence levels. Everyone had their routine and we just nailed the prep. Like it was honestly so good, there's not one thing that I would look back and be like, could have changed that,
Starting point is 00:22:50 everything was just like spot on. To go from the lens, what we'd do, wouldn't we, if we were playing a game that wasn't in London, we would go, well actually we did it every time, didn't we, we stayed over everywhere, but so we would travel up the day before, train in the morning, wouldn't we so we would travel up the day before, train in the morning, won't we? We'd travel up the day before.
Starting point is 00:23:07 Yeah. Did we fly? We did, didn't we? I can't remember. How did we get to Manchester? I can't remember. My memory's crap. I can't actually remember.
Starting point is 00:23:19 I can't remember, but anyway, we would have done the best option. Yeah, we would stay in a hotel local to that stadium. And I remember staying in Manchester. I think we'd gone to the shop, we'd walked to the shop for something. I don't know. Do you remember that little Sainsbury's
Starting point is 00:23:32 in the middle of Manchester? Yeah. We were just nicked out and it was like the night before the game. And I just remember someone saying, good luck tomorrow girls. And we were just like, oh. Where did that come from?
Starting point is 00:23:42 Get back to the hotel quick. And I think that was a weird one because that was like, we were actually in public then. So we'd been like locked away in our little safe space. And it's like, we've been let out into the wild. I know. Even the night before though, I remember it being, like you said, it was just dead chilled.
Starting point is 00:23:56 Like we were just, we were so focused. And like, I think when your preparation's like spot on, like everyone's probably a little bit different, to be fair, player to player is different. And, but I just remember we were just sat there and we were just like, we were just messing around. Like we were probably doing a TikTok or something or like watching some videos.
Starting point is 00:24:13 Yeah, we did. I think we did a TikTok in every destination we went to but it was really chilled and relaxed. And I think, like I said, when you prepare in the best way possible, all you've got to do is execute and you're just doing everything that you do every day. Like you said, it was just another game. It weren't like we never hyped up like any opponent. We knew their strengths. We knew their weaknesses.
Starting point is 00:24:32 We knew what we were doing. We never like hyped up anything or like played the occasion. We just played the game in front of us. And that was the only rule. Don't look too far ahead. You play the team, play the game, get home, recover, train the next day, go again. I remember me when we pulled up to Old Trafford because me and you were obviously set at the same seat. And I looked at you and I was like, this is mad. Like obviously... It was rammed. Yeah, but we'd done Bremboly before. Like we've played in big stadiums. We've played with big loads of fans. But there was something about that game where I was just like, oh my God, like what is happening? Like the fans were insane.
Starting point is 00:25:05 Like it's in a good way. It was just like, they were absolutely unreal. It was so, so sick, so sick. But listen guys, that is the lead up to the first game. We hope you've enjoyed it. We are gonna tell you all about the future games after, but for now that is it for today. And we are gonna end with our three gratitudes.
Starting point is 00:25:25 So Rach, if you wanna go first. Right, I am gonna say this week, I have been eternally grateful for my aircon unit. Because this heat isn't funny. Like we're not equipped, this country, are not equipped for hot weather. Why is the UK heat different though? Because if you was on holiday, you'd be like,
Starting point is 00:25:46 oh, this is perfect, I love it, I can, like you wouldn't even be hot. But in the winter. I love it, I still love the heat here, but what I think is different is we're not equipped for it at all, so like no one has aircon, no one has anything to keep you cool, right? But you're all, you're still doing normal stuff,
Starting point is 00:26:03 so like you've got to put the washing out. You've got to cook dinner. That's the only positive. You can get a shit ton of washing done and whack it online. But I mean, on holiday, you're not doing anything, are you? So you just actually just lay there and like, noodling the sun.
Starting point is 00:26:14 But here it's like, and then everyone's so angry about it. Like literally you go in the shop and people are like, oh, it's so hot. I don't get when people moan about burning. We're putting your damn cream then. Don't sit there and bake and be a lobster and moan about blistering when you haven't put your cream on. No sympathy from me. Well, so that is my... I'm so grateful for. So, I went to listen to this. Have you got aircon? No, I don't have aircon. I've got a shitty little fan.
Starting point is 00:26:42 Listen to this, have you got aircon? No, I don't have aircon, I've got a shitty little fan. Well, I sleep with a fan on every night, don't I? So it's like, even in the winter, but I'm like, it's so hot. Like- It's just that hot air they're blowing at you. And I'm like- So get on this, get on this, guys, anyone listening?
Starting point is 00:26:57 Lidl, 149 pound aircon unit, best, best money I've ever spent. The dogs have a better fan than I do because Zeus would die if not. So they have the best set up down here. I might have to start sleeping down here on wooden floor. Get Aircon. Right, okay, might invest.
Starting point is 00:27:18 My first gratitude is, I'm gonna say reconnecting with people that have not, I think you were getting habit of like, always been a little bit too busy or, so I'm grateful for people reaching out and being able to go and meet them and spend a little bit of time when I've not seen them for like months and months and months.
Starting point is 00:27:38 So I'm gonna say that. I think that really helped me this week. Oh, that's a nice one. Yeah, like I went and seen yesterday in London, I went and seen, and Chaps, Kate Chapman for anyone that doesn't know her as Chaps, and I've not seen him for ages, I took my mom. We went and watched Em's,
Starting point is 00:27:59 One Last Dance. Oh yeah. Documentary, which was really emotional actually, like it was crazy. So yeah, went and seen all them's family and yeah, just got to have a catch up. You know, you just, life takes over and you just don't get to see people.
Starting point is 00:28:14 And I've not seen them since you left. So it was really, really nice. I feel like I really, really needed that. So yeah, I'd say that was one of my highlights of the week. That's nice. Really nice. I like that a lot. Come and see me now. I know, I need to get my pink clubs
Starting point is 00:28:30 and then get me on that motorway, girl. My next thing I'm grateful for is the beach, right? Because obviously I went to Wales and I have never seen a happier puppy than Dexie on the beach. Like she is, but it's really sad because when she comes home, she like doesn't speak to me. Like literally she like hides because she's so mad that I've brought her home and not left her at the beach.
Starting point is 00:28:55 So just, it was just so peaceful, like being there and just watching Dexy have the time of her life like everyone knows. If I could move and live by a beach, I would do it in a heartbeat. Like, there's nothing better, I would love to just open my living room doors and just listen to the ocean and just have.
Starting point is 00:29:12 Yeah, and that's literally what I did when I was in Wales and I was like, this is amazing. And I was really grateful for like a moment of just like, peace, like that noise, and then just seeing Dexie happy is like the best thing in the world. Why don't you move down south and we'll move to the beach?
Starting point is 00:29:28 I'm never moving down south, ever. Oh, please. I hate to break that to you. I will move no further south than where I am now. Westy. Ever. We could just have a house side by side. Yeah, up north.
Starting point is 00:29:41 Then I'd be happy forever. I would never have a bad day if we did that. Connecting doors? Literally connecting doors, put a fucking tunnel in for all I care. Just let me get in your house. Or we could have a little hidden door at the top you just climb through.
Starting point is 00:29:57 Hello. You're the only person I'd be able to do that with, by the way, everyone else would irritate the life out of me. Say, all right, watch your mouth. That's happening in the future, I'd be able to do that with, by the way. Everyone else would irritate the life out of me. I'm sorry. Right, watch your hands. That's happening in the future. I'm gonna do that. I'm gonna do that.
Starting point is 00:30:09 What else am I grateful for? Do you know what? When people send me funny little reels, like when you send me ones when it's like us when we're 80 and it's like two old people, like still dancing along. I've been doing that a lot recently. I've been seeing loads of funny things. I need to send you them more, actually.
Starting point is 00:30:24 Yeah. Do you know what? I know this. I need to send you them more, actually. Do you know what? I know this is like nothing to do with being grateful, right? But can I read this to you? Yeah. Because I giggled at this a lot. How come our noses run but our feet smell? Like, your nose runs but your feet smell but your nose should smell and your feet should run. Oh yeah. Weird. Mind. Mind. What the hell?
Starting point is 00:30:52 Saw that on Instagram. Here's another one. If I told you, yeah, that I'm lying in bed right now, aren't I actually telling the truth? Don't because you know what these do to my mind? My mind's already pickled. Do you get it? Don't pickle it anymore. Yeah, I get it. If I'm lying in bed, am I telling the truth? Right.
Starting point is 00:31:15 It is the S. There she goes. Is the S or the C silent in the word scent, like smell scent? How do you know which one it is? Right, that's enough of that, because it's Sunday. I'm not even hungover. These are things that go through my mind on a regular basis. Yeah, this is how our brains work.
Starting point is 00:31:35 Well, mine don't work very often to be honest. We've gone slightly off track here. Slightly off track today, guys. Sorry, it's Rachel. She's hungover. Oh, no, no, I'm fine. I feel like you passed it on to me. Why do I feel hungover?
Starting point is 00:31:46 I'm not having anything to drink. Because I'm blowing your mind with these things. You are. My second gratitude is... Oh, God! This is really tough today. Holy crap, it is really tough. Hurry up!
Starting point is 00:32:03 I'm gonna... Holy crap, it is really tough. Oh, hurry up. I'm gonna... If anyone listening, Rachel doesn't have any patience whatsoever. She wants things now and I don't know why I'm knowing it's time to save. When in doubt, just say you're grateful for me. Like that's... I'm always grateful for you.
Starting point is 00:32:17 That doesn't need to be said out loud. People are gonna be pressing off at this point now on our podcast. Right, I'm very grateful for my bestie. She's my ride or die. Cute. Right, I'm very grateful for my bestie. She's my ride or die. Cute. Right, I've got a few. I'm always really grateful. I think I've got so much to be grateful for.
Starting point is 00:32:30 Yeah, last time you struggled and I didn't and this time I'm struggling. I'm just gonna stick to those two, reconnecting with people and you because you're always there no matter what, through thick and thin. And you always will be. That's really cute. Do you know what, this is like-
Starting point is 00:32:44 I never have to question our friendship ever and that's what I love. I don't like having to question people. Yeah, it is nice. And you sent me a nice message the other day. That was nice. Thanks, Westy. Love you.
Starting point is 00:32:56 The last thing I'm grateful for is, I would say music. Like I had a little boogie. Like I just love music. It just puts you in the mood, doesn't it? Hey, what song did your mom send? That's what I was gonna ask you. Said it, what, when?
Starting point is 00:33:10 Well, on the last one, you said your mom started sending you a song. Yeah. It could be from anything you were making a playlist and I was meant to ask you this time, what was the song? Well, there's loads, she sends one every day. Yeah, so what's the latest song? The latest song is Simply Red, Fairground.
Starting point is 00:33:26 Pleasure at the fairground on the way. Oh yeah, look at it. Lulu, you're gonna get a little shout out and every episode Lulu's getting a shout out and we're gonna name the song the latest song. Good song. I can't wait to listen to this playlist. I know it's brilliant. Maybe we could have a little karaoke day on the pod one day. Yeah, that'd be good.
Starting point is 00:33:47 Hey, just out of, just a coincidence. Who has a gold microphone sat next to them? Right, do you want to know a funny story where this is actually from? So you remember lockdown, yeah, just before lockdown, I was gonna do, I was gonna go with the girls and we was gonna go to like a big place, like hire like a house out,
Starting point is 00:34:14 like somewhere down south somewhere, and it had like a big pool. So I bought like a smoke machine, I got these little flamingos that you float in the, you know what I'm like, straight on Amazon. I bought everything, like I'd got like a helium canister for like the balloons and like all these like blow up, like beer pong, whatever. And for some reason, I bought three microphones
Starting point is 00:34:34 and you can record yourself on these. You can play a song out of it and it changes. And I don't know why, it was just there on the table then. So when you said that about karaoke, I was like, God save. I'll get one delivered to you. And on the next then. So when you said that about karaoke, I was like, God save. I'll get one delivered to you. And on the next one, we'll have a little. I love it. Let's do it.
Starting point is 00:34:52 I might have to have a little drink before I do that though. Right guys, on that note, that is it for the rest of this football daily brightness. Thanks for tuning in as always. Thank you for subscribing. Keep sharing the pod. We hope you are loving it just as much as we are and we will see you soon.
Starting point is 00:35:07 Bye. Bye Felicia.

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