The Rest Is Football: Daly Brightness - Euro 2022 Rewind: THAT Stunning Backheel, A Private Chat With The Boss & The Brilliance Of Beth Mead

Episode Date: July 24, 2025

What was the reaction like in the dressing room after Alessia Russo’s audacious back heel? How did a chat with Sarina Wiegman after the quarter-final fill Rach with confidence when she was feeling low? Why was it extra special playing in front of a full house at Bramall Lane? In the latest episode in our Euro 2022 Rewind mini-series, Millie and Rach tell Ben Haines all about the semi-final from a few years ago and the disbelief of pulling off such a convincing win against Sweden. Wherever it takes you. It Starts with a Swipe ®. Download Tinder today. https://tinder.com/en-GB/download  For more Goalhanger Podcasts, head to www.goalhanger.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Before we kick off today's episode of Daily Brightness, a massive thank you to our proud partners Shaw for backing us since day one. What started as a leap into the unknown has turned into something really special for us and it means a lot to have Shaw with us on the journey backing us like teammates. Right Rach, we're into the summer, what does life after the WSL season look like for you? This year I just had a nice week at home which was really nice to just get my feet back on the ground after travelling and everything. And then I went away for a couple of weeks and then it's hit the ground running. Pre-season program starts, it's like the hardest thing ever.

What about you? Yeah, I've really just taken a little bit of time to just do me really. Not been on any luxury holidays like you have because she sent me pictures every time you're away, which has been nice, but very jealous. Obviously, we're going into a massive summer ahead for women's football we're gonna be back in the lioness's aren't we? Always. So a big thank you to Shaw for always showing up for us on and off the pitch and supporting the podcast and thank you all for tuning in. Whether you've been with us from the start or you were just jumping in now there's so much more to come keep subscribing and keep watching.

Is bedtime a nightmare? If you fear the chance of accidental leakage and skin keep watching. Hello! Welcome to the Races Football Daily Brightness. Things are heating up in today's episode of our Euro 2022 Rewind Mini Series and we're looking back at the semi-final. If you didn't catch the quarter-final episode or any others in this mini series and we're looking back at the semi final. If you didn't catch the quarter final episode or any others in this mini series, do have a listen to those as well. You'll find them all on the daily brightness feed. Right, so we're gonna pick up after we beat Spain in the quarter final, we are now onto the semi final,

but this is everything leading up to that game. Rach, take us back. I think, after Spain. Rach is take us back. I think, after the spade game. She's in the background everyone, laughing. Honestly, shut up! Pfft. I think like it was a bit of a blur after the quarters

because like I said last time, I can remember, obviously it was such a tight game. And I was like, there was moments like, where I sat there on the, like when I was come off and I was on the bench and I was like there was moments like where I sat there on the like when I was come off and I was on the bench and I was like I'm not I'm not going home so we need to win this game and then I remember getting back to the hotel being like I couldn't believe it but then I think that was like the turning point for me where I was like we are winning this tournament like I'm not going home now like I'm not ready for it but I remember us getting back to the

Lensbury that night and I swear we just sat there and had a little fun and me and you were just like, what? That was mad. I just felt that whole tournament though, like just looking back at every game, like Ben we were saying before, every time we think back to that Euro, everything was just a bit of a blur and it's like we're in this bubble and you didn't really have like a super high but you never had a super low, like we always just stayed like, we would just stayed the same, but there were so many moments where me and Rachel just sit there and be like,

holy shit, we could get to the final. And we said it so many times. And that was one of the moments after the quarters where we just sat there and we were like, all right, we're gonna win. And we just kept saying, like whether you say it in your little groups or we said it to each other,

that was always the mini conversation. Like, we're going to win. And there were no, like, there was never any panic, like, ever. And it sounds mental to say that, but we just, it was just such a bizarre feeling. Like, it was, it's really hard to, like, explain. Did you feel like off the back of the Spain game that you kind of have a almost like a closeness that maybe you don't have a team before when you go through one of those games where you're like oh my god we've actually gone and chucked Spain out the

tournament suddenly everyone is just a little bit tighter just felt a bit invincible like it felt like no matter whether they attacked down the left the right like it just felt like everyone were like unstoppable. And it just felt like every time we attacked, we were going to score. That's how I felt. Like I never felt even if teams were having like, I remember there were waves in that game where Spain were like attack, attack, attack. And it just, at no point did we know about that.

Yeah, we do. We know about that. But at no point did we ever like panic or think, oh crap, like something drastically needs to change. Like it was just so like calm and we just executed what we needed to do. Do you know what else I thought like going into that was like, it was weird. It was like a sense of home because obviously for you it was home, going Sheffield. But we'd been in that bubble in London. Yeah.

Apart from the first game at Old Trafford, then it was like London, London, London. And I was like, obviously all our families were travelling and stuff, but I was like, that's so nice to just be able to like almost just get out of the South and just like have a whole new adventure for a minute. Like it was like we were going somewhere completely different. And I remember I was going Sheffield and we both were just like, oh, this is nice. And we love Bramall Lane, like that's such a sick stadium. Like I love old school stadiums.

And I don't know, I remember like getting into the ground of there and I was just like, this is sick. Like it's so cool. It's almost like you felt like you were in a different, because you've been at the AMEX for a couple of times, hadn't we? Like we've been in quite big stadiums. And then we went to like Bramall Lane

and everything just feels really tight and like close. And like, it just felt warm. Like I felt like it was just all England. Yeah. That is so amazing for you guys to have that experience yet at the same time you didn't get to do that thing of like right we'll just nip down to go and see everyone at home right because at this point you're not able to spend time with your family in the same way. Yeah but I think it was just a nice feeling knowing that like they're close.

Yeah. Like I remember sitting in your room mills and we were just like, oh, it's nice, isn't it? Like you just felt like even you just go down in the hotel or whatever and you just hear a northern accent. I don't know. It just it just felt and it's not even just because we're northern. I think it just felt like going to a different place. Like we just were out of the south for a minute. Like we were so used to like getting the bus from the Lensbury to Brighton and back, Brighton and back.

Like it was just so like, routine-y that it was like quite nice to be like, right we're going on a little adventure now, like we're taking this somewhere else. And just so happened to be obviously Millie's hometown and like close to my family. Do you know what's quite nice is you guys seem to have had these, these moments where you just kind of hit the pause button for like five minutes. After games where you just get after all the craziness and the madness where you get just a little window where you're like able to sit with each other

and be like, that was mad. Oh, we would always have a cup of tea. We'd either have a Fanta, a Fanta after games, or we'd always go to, Rach would always come to my room and we'd literally sit there and analyze the game and we'd sit and have either a cup of tea or a Fanta and that's what we would do. We'd go and obviously eat and then we'd be like right debrief and then we'd go and

have a debrief. Yeah when we debrief the quarterfinal I was like right that's me done I'll never play football again. But she was like that's it I'm out the team I won't play in the semis I'll be out the team was the worst play on the team. I'm just gonna probably just retire tonight because there's no point in even trying. She was like I'm not going on social media I'm not gonna be looking at anything everyone's just gonna be slating me well I'm not have been left back anyway so. But then I remember it was like quite early on in the game against Sweden and I can't remember it was. Yeah you nearly did your damn knee, you nearly did your knee, do you remember that?

No that was against Norway, that was disgusting. Are you sure? I thought you did it in the Sweden game. No it was Norway because I actually saw a clip of it the other day, that was horrible. No but I remember like thinking going into that game, I was obviously a little bit nervous because I was just not really at a very good game, the poly going, get out that left back, she's shit. And I remember, I think it was maybe Jakobsson, I think, but I'd like lured her in and done my crime. And then just bombed it down the line and I thought, yes, I'm back, I'm back. I'm back, she's done the crime.

Because I wonder Rach, whether maybe you would, like, when you're waiting for Serena to say the team, are you then getting nervous in the build-up? Are you like... Well, I had a conversation, I did have a really nice conversation with her after the game, didn't I, Millie? Like the next day I went for a walk with her at the Lensbury. Ben, she was nervous the minute she came off the pitch after Spain. We debriefed it for hours and hours and hours.

And I had to keep saying, you'll be in. Well, it was less about being in, but more about, like, I just felt like shit. Because I was like, obviously, that goal that they scored was, like, largely down to me. So, and my poor defending. But I just remember speaking to her and I was like, look, can I just have an honest conversation with you here and now? Because I feel like shit. Like, obviously, I'm absolutely excited. We're still here. We won, obviously I'm absolutely excited.

We're still here, we won, the team were absolutely incredible. Individually, you know that my standards are high. So when I'm underperforming, like, I just maybe need like, what, can you help me? And she was just like, why are you stressing out? Like, you had maybe one mistake, two mistakes, whatever. She was like, but just like, it was just like nice to make me feel like I wasn't going crazy. And she was like, watch it back. Like you won't, you're

like, you're not going to be that hard on yourself. And it was, it was a really nice conversation because it just sort of like, settled my mind a little bit to be like, okay, I'm not the worst player in the world anymore. But that's amazing though. That's, I suppose that's, I suppose that's what the best coaches do, right? They know what you need. Yeah. It was, it was really helpful because it wasn't like oh you start the next game anything like that nor did I even need that because like it's for the team. It was more just to sort of like reset my brain to be like am I okay or am I like really really shit.

Well is this like what you were saying about you overthinking stuff was your brain just going on overtime? You're just literally running over things. And also, I mean, everyone does this right, particularly people that overthink, but you don't just overthink by thinking about the incidents over and over again. You start thinking about all the worst stuff about yourself. Yeah, oh God. You make it like 10 times worse.

Well, did you just see that lightning then? No. That's probably a good time for us to take a break. Listen, listen, listen. Oh yeah. Storm's coming, I love storms. Can we just take a quick break because I just need to get my washing in.

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Welcome back to the Restless Football Daily Brightness. Let's get back into it. Our semi-final against Sweden in Euro 2022 is about to kick off. They had a few trances early doors. They hit the bar. I remember it being intense, like dominant but intense. First 15, 20 minutes, they had the foothold of the game and they were a bit like on top. Yeah. I think after about 20, it started to settle and then 35 or something, Beth scored and that was it.

We knew we only needed that first goal to like... Yeah. Because we were okay, we were getting into it, but like they had, we were a couple of nervy chances in the first... We were defending wave after wave, and that's going back to that point is we were very comfortable, like don't get me wrong,

we had to defend, but we were still comfortable in that moment. And if you need to put it in the stands, put it in the stands. Like we didn't, that's one thing I loved in that Euro is we did not care. If you need to put it 60 yards into the stands, just get rid of it, like get the danger away. Like, and that's something I think we did really well. Yeah, I think that just sort of like lifted us. It was like the lift that we needed that Beth scored. And it was almost like, it was like a sense of comfortability.

It was like, okay, we've scored now, we're fine. Like we're fine. And everyone just sort of... Don't you feel as well that, because Meadow was on fire, like that whole tournament, when we just kept saying, give her the ball, give her the ball, give her the ball, give her the ball, and then you're just waiting for her to score. Or waiting for her to provide an assist.

Like she had the best tournament ever. Like every game she was outstanding, like solid. And yeah, it did give us that sense of, oh, okay, one's in the net, we'll roll on from here now. Do you think was the best atmosphere of the tournament? Cause I think, I'd check it out there. I know Wembley was special. No, it was a really good vibe there.

It was very like loud and like intense. But that's what I mean, it's like intimate as well. It's like a bit closer, like it's like a proper old school football field stadium. Like it was, I loved it. I absolutely loved it. Do you remember everyone banging on there as you were walking out?

Yeah. Everyone like banging on the stuff. There's that sound of like people banging on the stadium. It's amazing. It was so loud, like, cause it's a compact stadium though. You feel like the fans are like on top of you, like they're literally there. But that's one thing that we love as players.

It was sick. It was like probably one of the best games as well. Just cause like atmosphere, like performance, four-nil. That was like, Alessia's back heel, right? No joke. Ridiculous. When that happened, I was like, Alessia's back heel, right? No joke. Ridiculous. When that happened, I was like, oh, she just back heeled that through Lindahl's legs.

Like, what the, to make it, was it three-nil then? Yeah. Yeah, I thought that was third-nil. I was like, how have you just done that? Like, that was iconic. Like, that should be hung up somewhere. Like, I can't pronounce that word, in the loo, loo, bruh. Loo, loo, loo. In the pronounce that word in the loo loo loo loo loo loo loo

in the loo in the loo. Hang it in the loo. I'm hanging it up in my toilet to be honest. I'm getting it loo, getting it loo love. Do you remember when we'd scored the fourth goal? I can't remember if you, I'm sure you were there. I ran past Leah right and I was like we're winning 4-0, what the fuck? And she was just like, what the fuck?

How are we winning 4-0? I remember just having one of those moments. It is because when it goes 3, you're thinking, holy shit, we're in the final. And then it goes 4 and you're like, oh my god, we're definitely in the final. I ran past her and I went, I can't wait to sing Riverdeep Mountain High when we get into the changing rooms at 4-0. I was like, Rach, shut the fuck up

and concentrate. And for anyone listening, that is one song we played every single game after we won Riverdeep Mountain High. And I remember us doing it in that changing room, because it was really small, wasn't it, like really tight and we were all up on our seats. You had like a really good mix of music as well, right? It was like a proper mixture of music, listen to it, wasn't just like one part of the music. Best playlist in that euros, everyone was accommodatedated for but we had like a team song there's actually

a video which we can't show because there's a lot of nudity in it but there's a lot of nudity but it was me, Ellen, Rach and Meedo what were we singing when we were going like side to side i don't know but i've got it on my phone we've literally we'll find out the song i won't share the video because, you know, for obvious reasons. But yeah, there were just like shit like that happening in change room after every win. Like the team was just so like tight and together

and they're like the best memories when you look back at tournaments, stuff like that. I've got that sense of feeling that that's like how the team is now though. Like I get that feeling. Do you see the video the other day? I love that. Everyone like celebrating it no matter whether you start, like I get that feeling. Do you see the video the other day? I love that everyone like celebrating it,

no matter whether you start, play, don't play. I get that feeling from the group this time around and like that nothing fills me. Like if they were to go out the other night, like nothing would fill me with more pride than like seeing them be together. Cause that's like, it's so hard to come by getting a group of 23 players to be that close

and that tight knit through such a long period of time, no what and that's what ultimately won us our tournament. For sure but like and I do think again this is like an appreciation for like subs and for players that don't play as much to be able to cherish those moments and join in and like be positive is so hard because you're so disheartened that you've not got on. But ultimately tournament football is about the bigger picture. You all get a medal if you win and hats off to people. Like when I look back to the Euro 2022, the subs were unbelievable. The, for me, the winners of the tournament, because they were positive after every single game, no matter how little they played or whether they got on, didn't get

on, they were the first ones singing and dancing. And it's those moments where you think, holy shit, we're like a tight knit group. Look how happy everyone is. We're gonna win it. We're gonna win it together. And it's not easy. Like it's hard.

You're disheartened, of course. Everyone's competitive. Everyone wants to play. Everyone wants to win. But... And then in that moment, we were in the final. Oh, gosh.

So sick. Can't wait to talk about that one. But for now, no more. That's it for another episode in the final. Oh, Bosh! So sick. Can't wait to talk about that one. Woohoo! But for now, no more. That's it for another episode of the Restless Football Daily Brightness. Next time on our Euro 2022 Rewind mini-series, we relive the final itself. Certainly one we're looking forward to and we hope you are as well. Till then, goodbye from me.

Bye from me. Bye from me.