The Tooney & Russo Show - What Makes Tooney & Russo Best Friends?

Episode Date: April 29, 2024

Vick Hope is on a mission to become part of a trio and wants to work out what Tooney and Russo are really like with each other away from football. In this episode they discuss the different stages of their friendship, from becoming friends at camp to Alessia’s ‘cringey’ American phase. Also the girls reveal their alter egos; Elouise and Alyssa, and Alessia has some honest advice for Ella. New episodes out every Monday, you can listen on BBC Sounds or watch on YouTube. Just search for the “Tooney & Russo show”.

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cargurus.ca. BBC Sounds. Music, radio, podcasts. All I want from Ella is... You've never called me that before. You've never called me Ella before. I don't think that was so weird. OK, all

I want from Toonie. I'll take your feedback on board. I like what I like. I like what I like, that's why I'm still in Tillsbury. Hello and welcome to the Toonie and Russo show with me, Vic Hope. I'm here with two of football's most famous friends. Please give it up for Ella Toonie and Russo show with me, Vic Hope. I'm here with two of football's most famous friends. Please give it up for Ella Toon and Alessia Russo! Now this pod is where you get to be a part of the conversation with Ella and Les and find out all the ingredients of a friendship that is over 10 years old. The girls have promised that nothing is off limits so be

prepared for everything and anything here on the toonie and russo show it's happening guys we're here you're here in the living room we've basically we've created a living room um and it's very much yours it's ours it is ours oh i'm glad you like it and um i said that nothing is off the table apparently so apparently yeah i said it now so see how it goes we're quite open and especially you you like to tell everyone everything how do you shout me for that yeah it's nice to have you back together you know like to be reunited because i know that a lot of the fans will have missed that and your friendship is something that they really look to I know it's nice when we get to hang out isn't it

yeah I feel like we ring a lot and text every single day so it's like we're not really apart but sometimes when I ring I think I've got loads to tell you and then I get all carried away and then I end up forgetting it I know but then we speak every day so you're like I haven't actually got anything to tell you. I know what you're doing every single day. Well, just to set the scene a little bit, we have memorabilia, I'm gonna say, from your friendship around this studio that we're in.

We've got these comfortable sofas, we've got pictures, there's Lester in your hair, Ella. We've got, hello Nan, it's ella on the wall there and a picture got all your bucket hats over there a lobster oh yeah the lobster so funny the lobster do you know the lobster story tell me the lobster story oh well it wasn't actually me it was mary wasn't it we when we were at the euros we had like a um day like a barbecue and we all drew a name and you all had to like pick their outfit for the barbecue so toonie got mary and mary got toonie and mary chose this big inflatable lobster costume for toonie and it was like one of the hottest summers it was the hottest

days it was about 27 degrees yeah and it was this big, massive inflatable thing. And some red kitten heels. Red kitten heel, cheetah kitten heels. And as we were walking out, there was like decking. Toonies Hill got caught in the decking. So I was just like that big lobster outfit, couldn't see, couldn't breathe, sweating. And Mary was laughing her head off thinking she was dead funny, but she killed me. To be fair, that was one of the funniest things Mary's done. Yeah, thinking she was dead funny but she killed it. To be fair,

that was one of the funniest things Mary's done. Yeah, because she's not that funny. I don't know if that, is that a bit of a backhanded compliment? Yeah, but she's not actually funny. I think Mary is funny but that was up there with like, yeah, she was buzzing.

She pulled it out the bag. She was buzzing off herself, weren't she? Yeah, she was. She was like, I got Ella that. I was the one who picked Ella that outfit. An iconic moment. Yeah, it was. It was, yeah. And I remember us blowing it up because it was like, I got Ella that. I was the one who picked Ella that outfit. An iconic moment.

Yeah, it was. It was, yeah. And I remember us blowing it up because it was like, it had like an inflatable pack that you just had to like, and it goes. Yeah, I kept blowing.

And I was trying to eat my burger on the barbecue. Was it like one of those, have you seen those guys when they go around in like the dinosaur suits that you inflate? Yeah, it was exactly like that. Yeah. It was so hot, hot honestly it was so funny you both came in today and it was so nice

to see you reunited again like a big hug you had your matching necklaces on yeah we do where's mine gone now she's done yeah and even when you're apart,

obviously that's something that has lasted. What were your perceptions of doing this before the podcast? Were you quite up for it? Were you a bit nervous? You know what? Right, ages ago, Les said to me,

Toonie, like, I've... You know on Instagram, when you can click that thing, and you've got more than one profile, she actually made a profile, and it was like, a podcast,

do you know what I mean? I went through this phase, of loving podcasts, like I used to listen to them, I still do listen to them, all the time, and I was like, I'd love to just do,

my own podcast one day, had absolutely no idea, what it was going to be about, probably really boring, but, I just love them, so, it's actually really nice. Yeah, it's actually nice because Les wanted to do this.

And I don't know if you wanted to do it with me, but here I am. Yeah, of course. But yeah, it's really nice. Here I am. Here I am on the couch. Here I am. That just took over your podcast. No, but this is also, this is an opportunity for you to get to know each other better.

Like, what would you want to know about each other that you don't already know? Oh, I don't think there's anything. I don't think there's anything, yeah. Me and Les play games on the coach, right? You know when they do, like, Mr and Mrs? Mr and Mrs, yeah. Not that we're Mr and Mrs, but, like, BFF. It works.

I think it works for both. Yeah, so I feel like we know each other really, really well now, yeah. Well, I want to get to know you both a bit better. I feel, I'm going to be honest you both a bit better I I feel I'm gonna be honest a little bit like a third wheel because I was really excited when I got asked to do this because obviously like everyone else I was enraptured by the lionesses right over the summer just so excited so proud obviously as you know Alessia I was playing for a team called 99 problems but the pitch ain't one for some time yeah um so as a big well here's the thing I got I got my call up um by a mate who was like Vic we need you because we

need to have a certain number of girls on the pitch at any given time because it's a mixed team and I was like great I'm so ready for this how come you're asking me is it because of my skill and he was like no it's because everyone else is pregnant and you're the least likely at this point but you know I'll take it but it it's so good to see women's football being talked about but also you guys as people so if you don't mind me third wheeling getting involved and becoming the third best friend we'd love that I would be really happy we'd love that I feel like be really happy. We'd love that. I feel like you'd fit in straight away anyway. What is your advice?

How can I integrate myself? I think you've already done it. Yeah. You don't have to tick boxes to be our friend. Well, you do. You need to be nice and that. You're allowed to come in whenever you want. You could even sit here if you really wanted.

We can move the microphones. You can sit with Toonie because she wants to sit there, don't you? Also, this is where the sweets are. If you want any just throughout the pod, just let me know and I'll pass them on. Yeah, but not my type of sweets, are they? What are they, Star Mix? No, they're like them jelly babies. They're the jelly ones.

Some of them have got the sort of spongy... I like that green one there. There you go. Thanks. Pure munching down the mic. People like that, you know. Oh, like ASMR. People pay good money for that.

So what was it that less you liked about Ella? You've got such like a false story now. On your face. That smile. We wore the same trainers to our first England camp. Yeah, you always say that, to be fair. We've got a good shoe game. And I just, you know, when you're young

and it's just little things like that, and you think, maybe we could be friends. Yeah. I came in, I didn't come in quite late, but my first camp, you'd already been on a few camps before and you'd got your little group and you know what I mean. And I followed Les on Instagram and she didn't follow me back for ages and ages.

I have no memory of this whatsoever. So I really wanted to be Les's friend. As soon as I got on camp, I thought, she's dead cool, she's funny, whatever, she's got nice shoes. After a few camps, I think we started to click a bit more, didn't we? And I was really shy, so I didn't actually speak for ages. And as we've got older, we've flipped, I think. Yeah.

You've got less shy and I got more shy. Not that I'm shy, but you know what I mean. No, I feel like you can talk to anyone. Whereas sometimes when I first meet someone, I, like, struggle to... Come out. Yeah. How old were you? Because you were saying this was at camp.

This was, like, really young youth camp. So what, we must have been about 12, 13, yeah. Just before we started recording, we were talking about shoes and you were talking about your shoe size. What size were you at this age? That age, probably still a six. Honestly, I came out the womb and I was a six.

I just want to say, you have an average shoe size. I do, I have an average shoe size, but everyone at football, back me less, takes the mick out of my feet. But I think it's because you've got skinny ankles. I've got skinny ankles, yeah. But that's okay. I'm a seven in boots,

six in trainers. That's the same as me. Sometimes my toes are bent over like that. But honestly, if you chop my toes off, I'd be a size two. Yeah, but you mustn't chop your toes off. No, I need them, obviously.

I can't stress this enough. I need them. You do, you really do. But I am all fingers and toes, like dead long toes. Mum said I came out like that. I've got a friend who can play Jenga with her toes. Have you tried? I would probably do that too.

I reckon you're good then. I have got long toe, haven't I? Yeah, you do. And what was your first impression of Ella, Alessia? I just thought she was so funny. I still think that now. I think that's why she loves being friends with me, because I just thought she was so funny. I still think that now. I think that's why she loves being friends with me because I just laugh at everything she says.

Yeah, less makes me think I'm hilarious. When you're 12 years old, you're still working yourself out. I mean, we're working ourselves out forever, but as you've grown, because you've really grown together, what are the qualities that you have really come to admire in each other oh that's a good one i would always say toony's such a loyal friend yeah like she'll do anything

and everything for her best mate i'm gonna get a lump in my throat if we get tears on the first podcast episode no i think less is just everyone says it she's one of the kindest sweetest people like you've ever met like she'll talk to anyone she'll make anyone feel welcome like not a bad bone in her body so I think yeah we just really clicked straight away we never speak that nice about you no we don't just taking a moment in silence this is really beautiful um I know that even though you are really good friends and I know this from the first meeting I had with the team they were like oh I want to do this podcast they are great friends but they're completely different and I think that's the best thing in the world I I think that we should celebrate our differences and that's what can make you

such great friends but talk to us about what makes you essentially opposite. Oh, we're so different. Everything. Food, drink. Yeah. Music. We like the same, but Les really loves that country stuff. Not for me.

I'm a big country music fan. Who do you like? Luke Holmes is my favourite. Oh, yeah. My favourite. Oh, now you's are Bez's. Now I'm the third wheel. All I'm gonna say is,

do you see that performance of Fast Car with Tracy Chapman? She wouldn't have seen it. I wouldn't have seen it, no. His voice is a joke. When I went to America, I just got into the, yeah, I just got into it and that's it. And I haven't converted you yet, have I?

No, I like a couple songs probably, don't I? And then when there's loads and loads and loads, I'm like, they all sound the same to me. You like Chris Stapleton? Yeah, that one song, Starting Over. Yeah. Just the one song. But yeah, we are very different.

Foods is a big one, to be fair. To be fair, I like sushi now. Yeah. You love sushi. You have converted into a sushi fan, actually. And Wagamamas. You like Wagamamas now, too? A little bit.

I wouldn't choose Wagas. I'd rather go somewhere and eat chips, you know? That's what I say when someone says, do you want to go Wagas? I'm like, not really, no. But I'll come. Another thing is, I love coffee, and Toonie can't stand it,

but she will always come on coffee dates. Oh, I'll always be there. And get, like, a hot chocolate or an orange juice. Yeah, or just a Coke. It's eight in the morning. Sometimes you wouldn't even get anything, but you just come, like, with me and Mary. I get formal.

Yeah. I don't think you need to like coffee to go on a coffee date. No, it's the vibes, isn't it? Yeah, it's the vibes. And also, like, I don't think this is... And, I mean, in a nice, subtle way, I don't think you need a coffee. No, I don't need a coffee date no it's the vibes yeah it's the vibes and also like i don't think this is and i mean it's been a nice possible way i don't think you need a coffee no i don't know yeah i'm i'm already all right without it you know what i mean i can get through the day without it yeah just give me a few hours after i wake up and i'll be there yeah and when i used to work at a

pub everyone used to always go for a cigarette break because it was really like accepted that if you smoke you can have a break and I was like well can I have an apple break? Like can I just get some air? And they're like well no it's not really a reason. I feel like it's a similar thing, I'm just going on the date because I want to be there, I want to be part of it. Trying to think what else we're really different at. Ella what kind of music do you like if it's not country?

I love smooth radio. I mean I'll say that on BBC. On BBC sounds, yes. I'm going to say yes. Ella, what kind of music do you like if it's not country? I love smooth radio. Am I allowed to say that on BBC? On BBC Sounds? Yes. I'm going to say yes. I like Elton John. You know, like... ABBA.

Bee Gees, ABBA, stuff like that. Neil Diamond. Neil Diamond. Lionel Richie. Rick Astley. Rick Astley, why not? Karen Carpenter. That is really old. What's your favourite song? I always say my favourite song is Islands In The Stream.

But I also love Midnight Train To Georgia, Gladys And The Pips. Bonnie And Clyde. But then, one day I'll go into training and I'm wrapping my head off in car, you know what I mean? One day I'm listening to Elton John, the next I'm listening to, I don't know, Bonnie and Clyde. Yeah, I like that song. You've got an eclectic taste. Yeah, I'm all over the place. I don't know what is my favourite yet, but a bit of everything. You didn't see Rick Astley, didn't he perform at Glastonbury last year? Didn't you go and see Rick Astley. Didn't he perform at Glastonbury last year?

Didn't you go and see Rick Astley or not? No, it was an option to go and see him. Because of all the people you've mentioned, he's alive. He is alive, yeah. We could probably organise, if he's playing anywhere, we could probably... Yeah, let's go, why not? I think that would be quite fun. See the one that sings,

Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down, never gonna run around and desert you. If we were to take football totally out of the equation, because you are competitive by nature, that's what makes you top of your game athletes. But if you were to take the football away, would you still be competitive with each other? I don't think we're competitive anyway, do you? I don you think, be competitive with each other? I don't think we're competitive anyway, do you? I don't think we're competitive with each other. No. But we are very competitive people. Yeah.

I hate losing. Yeah. I hate it. We always play this game on camp and it's called Partners. Have you ever heard of it? It's like a board game and it's kind of like frustration, isn't it? Yeah. But you have like pieces and cards.

It's a bit more like the next level up from frustration yeah a lot of thinking honestly we are just addicted to it we must play like over the course of like a 10 day camp maybe like 20 to 30 games yeah and these games last 40 50 minutes and we are just like so like we keep score every time yeah and me and two and your partners and we play against two other girls. If we lose that, we get annoyed. Yeah, we do get annoyed. And sometimes we do finger point at each other. Sometimes, but that's just if one of us makes a silly mistake.

Yeah. Toonie's a bit of a selfish partner. I am a bit selfish, yeah. I will admit it. I'm just thinking about what's best for us, but you don't understand that sometimes. You think I'm being selfish. I'm trying to help us win the game. Get mine home and then I'll get yours yeah I'll sort myself out first I was gonna say if

you're on the same team it's not about being competitive with each other but you are holding one another accountable yeah we have high standards we have high standards and sometimes yeah I look you can't speak you can't communicate so I So I look at her sometimes and think, what are you doing there? We know how each other play now. We've played that much. If you maybe find a partner, we could teach you. I'd like to play. I'm a big board gamer.

Scrabble especially. I love words. Struggle with that one. Do you? We played that a lot just after lockdown. Yeah, but it's a struggle for me. Have you played Monopoly Deal? Yeah, we used to play that.

Yeah, we don't play that as much. Partners just took over. Fine. Well, I'll learn it. Do you like cards too? Do you like cards? I do like cards, yeah. So with partner, you need a partner.

So if I bring someone, we can play. Yeah. But we can play cards without, like... We can play cards just us three. Yeah, just us three. Well, let's do that. I'll bring some cards to the next recording. How did you feel when you were separated? You know what? Wel, gadewch i ni wneud hynny. Byddaf yn dod â chyfarwyddoedd i'r cwmni nesaf. Sut oeddwch chi'n teimlo pan oeddech chi'n gwneud gwahaniaeth?

Yn fath, mi a Les cydnabodd ein cymhwysterau yng Nghymru pan oedden ni'n hynod o ifanc. Les symudodd i America, felly doeddem ni ddim yn gweld ein gilydd arall o'r cymhwysedd hynny. Felly roeddem ni'n dal i fod yn ddiddorol iawn, ond doeddem ni ddim wedi gweld ein gilydd, oeddwn ni? Ac yna pan wnaethoch chi ddod i'r Uned, dyna pan oedden ni'n hynod o hynod o hynod o hynod o fath. Ie. Felly pan symudwyd i'r London eto, roedd hi'n ddiddorol. we really and then when you come to united that's when we were like inseparable yeah so then when you when you moved to london again it was like oh gutted but we've done it before you know i mean like there's always a friendship yeah we'll always see each other on camps hopefully and then i'm always in london now for some reason uh so yeah i'll see you then as well let's not come to

manchester anymore well do you come to London, though? Yeah, yeah, she does, but she hates coming to London. Yeah, I do, but I'm doing it for you. Yeah, you are, and I really like that about you. I'm not really, I'm doing it for this podcast. I remember once we got the train down to London, and it was just me and Toonie. And I can't remember what we were down here for,

but we must have had an appearance or something. And we walked out Euston remember what we were down here for, but we must have had an appearance or something. And we walked out Euston, and we walked, like, down the stairs. And Toonie was like, so, right, where are we going here? And I went, we're just going to get in a cab, Toonie. She was like, how do we do that? Honestly, I could not get here on my own. It was so fun.

Like, she just absolutely hates it. Hates public transport like, public transport, trying to get around the tube. The anxiety's through the roof, trying to get on a train, me. Trains are easy, though, from Manchester. You literally are on it, and then you get off and you're in London. Yeah. What do you hate about here, about the city?

About London? Yeah. I don't... Hate's a very strong word. I would never really use hate. What I dislike is... I don't know. Everyone's very strong word. I would never really use hate. What dislike is. I don't know. Everyone's dead busy, a bit rude.

You know, because I'm from Newcastle and when I first moved down, I never thought I'd move down south because I found it quite intimidating. And I think I actually completely agree with you is that there's something about those cities in the north that, I don't know, I the north that I don't know I just I just love where I'm from and I love the warmth and how welcoming people are in Newcastle and people aren't in as much of a rush it's true you can feel it I feel like when I step into London

I'm running yeah like everyone's running everywhere and it's just 100 miles an hour but yeah I'm the same as you just love home being at home well we mentioned that move from Manchester to Arsenal this podcast does give us a great opportunity to address the rumours that you fell out after Alessia's move to Arsenal that must have been tough

I hate when people make rumours about you it's like what can you do honestly I don't even know where it came from. It's because apparently we'd not posted each other for ages or something stupid like that or not been with each other for ages or have they fell out, they've not done this, this, this. But when we were on

camp together we literally spend every minute together. But because they'd not took a picture of us everyone was like they're not spending any time together. But yeah honestly there's so many rumours that are made up in women's ymddiriedol o'n rhan. Roedd pawb yn dweud nad ydyn nhw'n gwthio amser gyda'n gilydd. Ond ie, yn onest, mae llawer o farniau wedi'u gwneud yn y ffwrdd gwleidyddion. Ie. Beth fath o bethau wnaethoch chi'n eu clywed yn eich gweld yn eich gweld? Wel, nid yw ein bod yn enwau yn rhyfeddol. Ie, roedd yn rhyfeddol. Os ydych chi'n ffrindiau gyda rhywun, rydych chi'n mynd allan yn union. Ie.

Ydych chi'n gwybod beth rwy'n golygu? Ie, rydych chi. Yn unig yw hynny'n anodd. Ie, chi all wneud with someone that you're automatically going out yeah that you know what i mean yeah you are which is also bizarre yeah you can't have friends without people thinking you're you're together yeah but the fallen out one really was like who on earth started that and then i remember when you posted the story of us everyone was like they're okay yeah it's fine they're right they're friends again Have you ever actually fallen out? I mean, like little things or... No. I cannot remember ever falling out.

No, neither can I. I'm trying to think if we've ever had like a little bit of a... Bicker. Bicker, yeah. But I genuinely don't think... Zell was actually... I can't remember who I was telling the other day about how clumsy you are.

It was like me, Keats, Zell, people like that were saying that you were just really clumsy and that you used to get, she used to open like a can of Nocco in the gym and leave it in a random place on the floor or on the side and then she'd spin round and knock it over. Every day she'd spill a can of whatever. And then Zell was like, I remember Toonie once. She spilled some all over your trainers and you shouted at her.

Not shouted bad, but less, less. It was in the gym as well. And then apparently you said to Zell afterwards, why did she shout at me? Something like... Feeling dead sorry for myself. Yeah, why did she shout at me? And Zell,

i'w hapus, oherwydd ti'n ei llwyddo dros y trefnwyr ac mae'n llwyddo rhywbeth bob dydd. Felly dyna'r unig amser rwyf wedi... Os byddai Les yn gwneud y peth hwn, pan fyddai hi'n mynd allan ar y llwybrau ar y nos, byddai'n mynd. A byddai hi'n hoffi chwarae y gêm oedd ei fod yn mynd ar y gorff ar y dde,

ac yn cwylio. Ac yn cwylio ac yn cwylio, ac yn cwylio ei angen, ac yn mynd ar y llwybrau. she'd walk on the end of the curb and fall off. And then she'd walk on the end of the curb and fall off and roll her ankle and fall off. And I'd be like, just walk on the pavement. It used to bother me. I used to do that. Why would you? Just keep yourself insane. Yeah, and then roll your ankle.

Do you know what it feels like? It feels like you're a gymnast doing the beam. Yeah. But I bet you stayed on. Well, not always. Yeah, well. Used to a really alive, and I now feel really out of this podcast.

Now you're third. The Vic and Les podcast. With Ellatoon. It would be nothing without Ellatoon. Come on now. Ever feel like car shopping is designed to make you second guess yourself? Is this a good price? Am I making the right choice? With CarGurus, you don't have to wonder.

They have hundreds of thousands of cars from top rated dealers and advanced search tools, deal ratings and price history. So you know a great deal when you see one. That's cargurus.ca. cargurus.ca You've had that experience of being apart for a long time. And I see you moved to America for three years when you were 18 before you signed for Manchester United. How was that? Tell me a little bit about that time.

Was it a challenge? Yes, it was hard moving away when I was like 18 so I was still like young and naive and I moved away actually with another girl that me and Toonie played with through our youth and she plays at Arsenal now called Lotta Wubbamoy and I actually don't think I would have survived without her like she was just hasn't she always had like a really wise head on her shoulders. So mature. So mature. She got me sorted with my bank account, with my phone, with everything that you don't even think about when you move abroad.

But yeah, it was like the best three years ever. Made some great friends, had a great time. I think I came back a bit Americanised. Yeah, she did. That's another thing that annoyed Toonie. Toonie, in what ways did you think she came back Americanised? Well, she started saying these mad words, and I was like, you don't say that, though, Les.

It was, like, really, like, she was, like... There was a lot of you who went to America, so when they all came back to England camps, they'd all be, like, talking and saying, like, cleats. That's one. We didn't say cleats. And soccer, and they'd, like, have this, like, American accent. They'd been be like talking and saying like cleats. That's one. And soccer and they'd like have this like American accent. They'd been there a month.

No, the only thing we used to say is instead of training, we'd call it practice. Yeah, did my head in. And PK. Like just cringy stuff like that. And I'd be like, oh, no, don't do that. Did you call it soccer instead of football? I did when I was out there because football was American football.

And then I came back and obviously sometimes it would just... Fall out. But yeah, I just, words a little bit, country music. I think I dressed a bit different. I would say that you dressed a bit different. Yeah, they're very casual in America like I'd go to like people would go to class in shorts and like a baggy t-shirt with like your backpack on which was great because it was so comfy and it was so hot all the time as well so you had to kind of find your comfort but I feel like the big pre-wrap as

well yeah like a big thick headband like typical and my shorts maybe a bit higher in my socks high but I'm back to myself now yeah like yeah Ella would you move abroad if it was the right opportunity yeah I think more so as I'm as I'm getting older um and growing up like yeah I would like to Yn fawr, wrth fy modd, rwy'n credu, wrth fy modd, rwy'n credu, rwy'n credu, rwy'n credu, rwy'n credu, rwy'n credu, rwy'n credu, rwy'n credu, rwy'n credu, rwy'n credu, rwy'n credu, rwy'n credu, rwy'n credu, rwy'n credu, rwy'n credu, rwy'n credu, rwy'n credu, rwy'n credu, rwy'n credu, rwy'n credu, rwy'n credu, rwy'n credu, rwy'n credu, rwy'n credu, rwy'n credu, rwy'n credu, rwy'n credu, rwy'n credu, rwy'n credu, rwy'n credu, rwy'n credu, rwy'n credu, rwy'n credu, rwy'n credu, rwy'n credu, rwy'n credu, rwy'n credu, rwy'n credu, rwy'n credu, rwy'n credu, rwy'n credu, rwy'n credu, rwy'n credu, rwy'n credu, rwy'n credu, rwy'n credu, rwy'n credu, rwy'n credu, rwy'n credu, rwy'n credu, rwy'n credu, rwy'n credu, rwy'n credu, rwy'n credu, rwy'n credu, rwy'n credu, rwy'n credu, rwy'n credu, rwy'n credu, rwy'n credu, rwy'n credu I'm a proper home girl and for me we were at different stages, not in our career but... In life. Yeah, and I was at Man City probably at the time, so a club that was doing really well and I thought that was the best opportunity for me. But yeah, I probably wouldn't have enjoyed being out there and away from home

and how different the lifestyle is and stuff like that. That's probably not suited to me is it no I don't think you would you would have loved the people and the sport but you would maybe have not liked like the lifestyle and the and I don't know if I could have played in that heat me yeah you hate the warm I prefer to play in the rain yeah and I feel like they wouldn't have understood a word I was saying no they wouldn't have yeah even I remember like being in the rain. Yeah. And I feel like they wouldn't have understood a word I was saying. No, they wouldn't have. Yeah.

Even, I remember, like, being in one of my first classes and it was in, like, a big lecture hall. Everyone was introducing themselves and then they came to me at the back and I said, like, started to talk and whatever, and everyone just went like this because they thought, who is talking in that accent? And I went bright red and I thought, please move on to the next person.

So if it was you, then they definitely would have been able to understand you. Everyone struggles with my accent. I don't even think it's that bad. No, it is quite hard to understand. Like, a lot of the foreign girls that come and play... Yeah, they do struggle. And I have to speak a lot slower for them. Yeah.

If anyone else wants to know this story as well, I just thought of it randomly in my head. What, just then? Yeah, that me and you like to do we went through this phase of like being two different people oh talking in the accent and we was like so i weren't ella anymore and i didn't sound like this i was actually eloise and i spoke in like some mad american accent and we just i was alissa we were it was only like last year but what do you mean you were just going about life pretending to be someone else

no we were just like sitting and having a conversation oh right okay so we'd sit and talk to each other and be two different characters and they were both American weren't they just to give us an idea

just to illustrate the point what did that look like hey Alyssa like today has been really amazing we just used to go on this mad conversation that was so unrelated to what we'd been doing that day yeah and then suddenly we just switched back to Ella and Alyssa yeah something to do with it like sometimes you do get bored on campus yeah you, you've got to find little entertaining things and it was funny, wasn't it?

You can also talk American to us if you want. Okay, guys. That was really bad. Tell me about Tilsley. Tilsley. Tilsley.

Yeah, I just absolutely love Tilsley and being home and it's where all my family are, all my friends are and yeah, I've luckily enough

throughout football I've never had to move away from home which is really nice and not many people can say that I've always been able to to stay at home um and play for yeah my local club yeah do you live at home or have you um I've got my own house now I've been in there probably like maybe two years um yeah it's been really difficult but I only moved four minutes away from my mum and dad's house so it's been really difficult I'm down the road yeah I am down the road and mum still comes to clean the house and stuff so that's nice um but yeah I've definitely learned so much about having my own house and trying to grow up what sort of stuff are you dealing with? Oh, I'm dealing with all sorts.

She couldn't even run a bath. Oh, I knew you was going to say that. What do you mean by that? Oh, this is a big story that's really blown out of proportion. I went to run a bath once years ago and I didn't put the plug in, basically. And I was stood like thinking, why is it not filling up? And it was, yeah, it was only a little mistake,

but I can make them now. Sometimes it's so scorching hot though that I can't get in for like two hours. You've got to put some cold in. I know, I just can't get it right, you know, with the taps and it's hard work. Yeah, the running the bath, cooking, that is hard work. I relied on my mum a lot for a lot of things.

Cleaning, doing the bins, that's a pain, that one. That one really gets me. No, lot of things cleaning doing the bins that's a pain that one that one really gets me um what else do i not like i hate changing the bed that's hard that's hard my first job was i was a cleaner in a hotel and i would clean toilets all day no problem give me any toilet but changing a bed that's a workout yeah especially at a hotel because they have about six sheets and you've got to tuck it right in yeah tucking it in i hate that and when you get in the room you're like this i'm like pulling it up like that but now because we stay in loads of hotels we've had this conversation loads like what do you do right do you untuck the bed or do you lie in it with it tucked in i get in

and i go why didn't i untuck this bed because this isn't comfortable who wants this yeah and then you have to get out oh you get out first you start by just yeah and you can't get it out maybe i'll do it with my foot i know some people though who sleep with it tucked in that's my psycho behavior that they must be stuck there yeah. Yeah, because it's like glued. My feet would... I'd be like that. Yeah, I hate that me. I hate that...

It's lovely, it looks nice, but it's a pain. Yeah. What did you miss the most from home, Les, when you left? Oh, besides my family, I like English food like I love my mum's cooking she's such a good cook I love like beans I love like proper English food like a Sunday roast that's funny that you say beans because some of the girls at football uh one's Canadian and one's from America they just look at me all the time when I'm eating my beans at breakfast and they're like, what on earth, why have you got beans with eggs or why have you got avocado and beans?

They just can't get their head around it. And I'm like, you need to try it. Yeah, I'm sorry, but if they can't get their head around it, that is on them. I know. I've told them. I'm like, girls, come on. And you know what else they don't understand? Jacket potato and beans.

I love jacket potato. Yeah, I do. I love jacket potato. Do you make a good jacket potato and beans i love jacket yeah i do jacket potato do you make a good jacket potato no i've never made one love jacket potato but when it's made for me yeah that's what makes it for me yeah hey but there's a hack yeah you put it in the microwave for 10 minutes five minutes turn it over five minutes and the outside dead crispy does it go crispy in the mic in the mic in the mic we In the Mikey. We call the microwave the Mikey.

Yeah, we like to sometimes shorten our words, don't we? How have you enjoyed the first episode of our pod? Loved it. It's great. Yeah. It's been really nice. It's just been a nice little chat. It's just been a nice time.

Just sit on these sofas and chat. It is comfy as well, isn't it? It's also, I am going to say, it's been warm in here. Yeah it is warm. We've all been sweating a little bit. We've got sweat patches going on.

And that's fine because we've all got them together. Yeah. We're a trio now. Yeah. There you go. Are there any bits

that you are thinking you know what, I want to discuss that in a future episode? I've got a note here saying we can try and get ella to like london more yeah you could do it's a challenge that's not gonna work though is that you you do shout me and say like yeah but you've not done it properly ella no i all i want from ella oh you've never called me that before you've never called me ella before i don've never called me Ella before. I don't think that was so weird. Okay, all I want from Toonie

is to be a little bit more open-minded when she visits somewhere new. And it's not just London. It's LA as well. Remember when we went to LA? Yeah, it's just not my bag, though. She just moaned the whole time about... Oh, I did.

You did? About the jet lag or about the food. Oh, the jet lag killed me. I was waking up at four in the morning, starving, and all I had was Skittles on the side. I was living off Skittles, and then at night time I was like, at the dinner table, it killed me.

We went out to this really nice restaurant for dinner, and it was me, Toonie, and one other girl, Smudge, that we used to play with. And me and Smudge were just talking to Toonie, just sat there, like staring into space not wanting to be there because she's just so tired no it killed me off

that jet lag honestly it ruined me no I would just like you to be a tiny bit more like open minded when you go somewhere new alright I'll take your feedback

on board I like what I like I like what I like that's why I'm still in Tilsley but no I will I do agree with that I have become a lot more open's why I'm still in Tilsley. But no, I do agree with that. I have become a lot more open-minded as I've got a bit older.

Yeah, you have. I did like it, but... You know what I did like? The karaoke bar. Yeah. I think it was like an O'Neill's or something. Like you get all over the world. I like the karaoke bar.

But it was a good night, that, actually. What were your songs of choice? what did we sing? it was so funny that was it don't stop believing I wasn't jet lagged that night I was Eloise and on that note

thank you to Eloise and Alyssa it's been the Toonie and Russo podcast episode one baby done thank you for tuning in to the Toonie and Russo show make sure you hit follow

and subscribe so you never miss an episode and remember you can find the podcast Miss Me with Lily Allen and makita oliver over on big c sounds thank you so much for watching on the football daily podcast the women's football weekly with me ellen white and white coming forward and the ben haynes with some of the biggest names in the wsl joining us every week to discuss everything that's happening in the women's game. Right after the World Cup, got told,

we're going to America. I thought, amazing. Ten days in training, did my meniscus, and the next day they flew to America. Blocked 10 of six yards out, tell them why! The Women's Football Weekly Podcast. New episodes every Wednesday. Subscribe to the Football Daily on BBC Sounds.

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