After reading this book, I realize I still have so much more to learn, and especially in England, there is still so much more work to be done to grow the women’s game.

I love Beth Mead and I became especially fascinated by her during the Euros when she ended up being the top scorer. I rewatched some of those moments again having read her perspective and was amazed all over again that England won the Euros. It opens with a prologue detailing the disappointment of not making it to the 2020 Olympics, and then moves on to tell us her whole football journey from childhood to the 2022 Euros. It wasn’t until the Lionesses started winning in the Euros that I started watching their training and interviews on YouTube - something that I do regularly with the men even though they share the “England” channel.Beth Mead is one of the world's most talented footballers - Golden Boot winner and Player of the Tournament at the UEFA Euro 2022, England Player of the Year 2021-22, Arsenal Player of the Season 2021-22, and nominee for the 2022 Ballon d'Or. The new found admiration and respect I have for not only Beth, but for every women’s football player, is unmatched.

If, like me, you followed last summer's European Championships, you would have shared in the euphoria and pride at our Lionesses winning the trophy after a hard-fought final versus Germany.From being placed in the local boys’ team as a child because her mum wanted her to run off her boundless energy, to joining Middlesbrough FC’s Centre of Excellence and making her professional debut at Sunderland, Beth and women’s football have come a long way.

This diary style retelling of the euros was perfect, translating the feeling of pressure Beth felt in training sessions, games and tournaments, from her experience with homesickness and shyness when she was younger to having to adapt to a post-European champion who can’t go to McDonald’s without getting recognised life. This book gave us an insight into Beth as a person and the struggles and hurdles she went through to get to where she is today. I felt like I was having a conversation with Beth and she was just telling me her story sitting next to me.I feel like I learnt a lot about professional football and what it entails and it has only increased my respect for professional footballers. You only have to look on social media to see the nonsense these young women have to put up with just because they want to play football. It really opened my eyes to the journey that these women have to take (unlike Saka, who I absolutely adore, being signed to Arsenal’s Academy at about 8 years of age). Well done Beth for telling your story and I was pleased to read, in the news recently,that the Lionesses were successful in getting the government to listen to them about PE in schools.