Bethany England EXCLUSIVE: Chelsea Women striker on helping the NHS, having a mother on the front-line, and life in lockdown
Chelsea and England Women star Bethany England is acutely aware of just how lethal coronavirus can be.
The 25-year-old’s mum works in the virology department at Sheffield Northern General Hospital and plays an integral role in ensuring that coronavirus tests are carried out, helping medical experts improve their understanding of the deadly pandemic which has gripped the globe.
England is doing her bit to help out
It means each day, the Chelsea striker is left wondering whether her mum will be the latest critical worker to be diagnosed with the virus, as she tackles the pandemic head on with others on the front line.
As such, the NHS is something which is close to England’s heart and that’s why the striker, who is the joint-top scorer alongside Arsenal’s Vivianne Miedema in the Women’s Super League this season, decided to raffle off a pair of match-worn boots to help fund the purchase of vital equipment.
These weren’t just any old boots, though; England raffled off the pair she scored twice in to help Chelsea lift the Continental Cup in February, which meant the striker raised over £1100 for NHS charities, the same fund supported by #playerstogether.
Speaking exclusively to talkSPORT, the Chelsea striker said: “My mum works on the front-line with the NHS at Sheffield Northern General Hospital trying to tackle the whole virus situation and making sure that everyone is getting the tests and samples done.
“I just thought that they need as much money as they can to help get through it and I know people keep saying ‘it’s not a charity and should be funded through the government,’ but every little bit helps and especially having family on the front line, it’s nice to be able to help give back a little bit.
England has been in fine form for Chelsea this season
“I thought what better thing to do then to try and raffle off something that I think people would have liked to have the opportunity to win. I didn’t want it to be an auction or whoever could afford the most money. It’s a testing time for most people and I wouldn’t be expecting people to just be throwing out big lumps of money just for a pair of boots.
“I was astonished at the response it got and helping to raise that much money. It’s going to be going to a good cause.
“At the minute, what they’re [hospitals] are struggling with is getting the equipment. In the virology department where she [England’s mum] helps, they’re fine for PPE equipment, which I know is a big thing at the minute and a lot of areas are struggling, but other equipment that they would normally be able to get is getting prioritised to the Government to certain areas i.e the Nightingale Hospital and things like that. It’s been quite challenging for them.
“Ultimately, they can test around 2500-3000 samples a day of coronavirus tests but with the equipment they are being given, they are only managing 300-400. So, you can see the dramatic difference in how many people and cases they would be able to help that they’re not being able to due to shortage of equipment. I’m very appreciative of what my mum’s doing at the moment.”
Women’s Football Weekly Special
Following this week’s news that the England Women’s manager Phil Neville will be leaving the role in 2021, Faye Curruthers is hosting a SPECIAL Women’s Football Weekly on Monday 6pm on talkSPORT 2
Faye will be joined by journalists Suzy Wrack, Rich Laverty and Rebecca Myers to digest, dissect and debate the news.
Arsenal’s Leah Williamson goes up against Chelsea’s Erin Cuthbert in a special E Sports competition for the NHS Charities Together Cup next week but first they’ll be pitting their wits against each other live on air with Faye. Who’s going to win …. Chelsea or Arsenal?
The Womens Football weekly special this Monday 6pm with Faye Carruthers on talkSPORT2
Download the talkSPORT app, listen online or download the podcast….
England, like all other professional footballers, is currently left in limbo over whether the season will recommence and is having to maintain her fitness while on her own in lockdown. However, keeping fit hasn’t been as straightforward for some of her teammates.
“It’s quite a difficult time and has been challenging for everyone,” she says.
“I’m still able, thankfully, to get out with the dog on a walk so it gives me that nice little bit of fresh air. We don’t know whether or not the season is going to continue yet but the only thing we can do is make sure we’re in the best possible shape and position if and when we do go back in. So, it’s just about keeping on top of fitness and working well with our strength and conditioning coaches and performance people who are giving us our training programmes every week.
“We have weekly contact with them and as Emma [Hayes] says, more importantly, just keep your mind healthy than anything because it is difficult, especially for people who aren’t used to being restricted as much. Especially for myself, being on my own has been challenging but you’ve got to keep your mind occupied.
The forward is keeping herself fit in lockdown
“I’ve also seen a lot of players getting restricted when wanting to do certain activities outdoors by the Police stopping them, which is challenges they are facing, because not all of us have big gardens where we can do sessions in the garden.”
Up until the WSL was halted, to say it had been a whirlwind 12 months for England would be an understatement. After scoring a stunning 30-yard-strike against Tottenham Hotspur back in August, her career has been on an upward trajectory.
Since then, she’s scored her maiden England goals, notched 14 times in 15 appearances in the WSL and scooped the Player of the Month award for January and February, too. Not bad for someone who was working in a Fish and Chips shop as little as six years ago.
Arguably, though, her season peaked in February when she hit a brace against Arsenal to help Chelsea lift the Continental Cup for the first time, something England classes as one of her proudest moments to date.
“That’s the first proper title I’ve won with Chelsea and in my career [so far],” she finished.
Uncertainty remains over the top two tiers of women’s football
“This was a trophy that we’ve never won as a club before and everyone was very adamant on making it a priority this season as well as wanting to do the treble. It’s definitely up there when it comes to my career highlights.
“But, I have to give a lot of credit to my teammates for helping us win that game because first and foremost, there are two reasons why I think we won that game; One, Ann-Katrin Berger in goal who probably put out the performance of a lifetime in that game. The unbelievable stops that she made throughout that game kept us in it. Ann’s performance that day meant she was the real hero.
“Secondly, the willingness to not give up and I think you’ve seen that a lot this season from our team. Even if we go 1-0 down, we always manage to find a way and we’ve kept finding a way this season and the resilience to bring it back.”
Chelsea and England Women star Bethany England is acutely aware of just how lethal coronavirus can be.
The 25-year-old’s mum works in the virology department at Sheffield Northern General Hospital and plays an integral role in ensuring that coronavirus tests are carried out, helping medical experts improve their understanding of the deadly pandemic which has gripped the globe.
England is doing her bit to help out
It means each day, the Chelsea striker is left wondering whether her mum will be the latest critical worker to be diagnosed with the virus, as she tackles the pandemic head on with others on the front line.
As such, the NHS is something which is close to England’s heart and that’s why the striker, who is the joint-top scorer alongside Arsenal’s Vivianne Miedema in the Women’s Super League this season, decided to raffle off a pair of match-worn boots to help fund the purchase of vital equipment.
These weren’t just any old boots, though; England raffled off the pair she scored twice in to help Chelsea lift the Continental Cup in February, which meant the striker raised over £1100 for NHS charities, the same fund supported by #playerstogether.
Speaking exclusively to talkSPORT, the Chelsea striker said: “My mum works on the front-line with the NHS at Sheffield Northern General Hospital trying to tackle the whole virus situation and making sure that everyone is getting the tests and samples done.
“I just thought that they need as much money as they can to help get through it and I know people keep saying ‘it’s not a charity and should be funded through the government,’ but every little bit helps and especially having family on the front line, it’s nice to be able to help give back a little bit.
England has been in fine form for Chelsea this season
“I thought what better thing to do then to try and raffle off something that I think people would have liked to have the opportunity to win. I didn’t want it to be an auction or whoever could afford the most money. It’s a testing time for most people and I wouldn’t be expecting people to just be throwing out big lumps of money just for a pair of boots.
“I was astonished at the response it got and helping to raise that much money. It’s going to be going to a good cause.
“At the minute, what they’re [hospitals] are struggling with is getting the equipment. In the virology department where she [England’s mum] helps, they’re fine for PPE equipment, which I know is a big thing at the minute and a lot of areas are struggling, but other equipment that they would normally be able to get is getting prioritised to the Government to certain areas i.e the Nightingale Hospital and things like that. It’s been quite challenging for them.
“Ultimately, they can test around 2500-3000 samples a day of coronavirus tests but with the equipment they are being given, they are only managing 300-400. So, you can see the dramatic difference in how many people and cases they would be able to help that they’re not being able to due to shortage of equipment. I’m very appreciative of what my mum’s doing at the moment.”
Women’s Football Weekly Special
Following this week’s news that the England Women’s manager Phil Neville will be leaving the role in 2021, Faye Curruthers is hosting a SPECIAL Women’s Football Weekly on Monday 6pm on talkSPORT 2
Faye will be joined by journalists Suzy Wrack, Rich Laverty and Rebecca Myers to digest, dissect and debate the news.
Arsenal’s Leah Williamson goes up against Chelsea’s Erin Cuthbert in a special E Sports competition for the NHS Charities Together Cup next week but first they’ll be pitting their wits against each other live on air with Faye. Who’s going to win …. Chelsea or Arsenal?
The Womens Football weekly special this Monday 6pm with Faye Carruthers on talkSPORT2
Download the talkSPORT app, listen online or download the podcast….
England, like all other professional footballers, is currently left in limbo over whether the season will recommence and is having to maintain her fitness while on her own in lockdown. However, keeping fit hasn’t been as straightforward for some of her teammates.
“It’s quite a difficult time and has been challenging for everyone,” she says.
“I’m still able, thankfully, to get out with the dog on a walk so it gives me that nice little bit of fresh air. We don’t know whether or not the season is going to continue yet but the only thing we can do is make sure we’re in the best possible shape and position if and when we do go back in. So, it’s just about keeping on top of fitness and working well with our strength and conditioning coaches and performance people who are giving us our training programmes every week.
“We have weekly contact with them and as Emma [Hayes] says, more importantly, just keep your mind healthy than anything because it is difficult, especially for people who aren’t used to being restricted as much. Especially for myself, being on my own has been challenging but you’ve got to keep your mind occupied.
The forward is keeping herself fit in lockdown
“I’ve also seen a lot of players getting restricted when wanting to do certain activities outdoors by the Police stopping them, which is challenges they are facing, because not all of us have big gardens where we can do sessions in the garden.”
Up until the WSL was halted, to say it had been a whirlwind 12 months for England would be an understatement. After scoring a stunning 30-yard-strike against Tottenham Hotspur back in August, her career has been on an upward trajectory.
Since then, she’s scored her maiden England goals, notched 14 times in 15 appearances in the WSL and scooped the Player of the Month award for January and February, too. Not bad for someone who was working in a Fish and Chips shop as little as six years ago.
Arguably, though, her season peaked in February when she hit a brace against Arsenal to help Chelsea lift the Continental Cup for the first time, something England classes as one of her proudest moments to date.
“That’s the first proper title I’ve won with Chelsea and in my career [so far],” she finished.
Uncertainty remains over the top two tiers of women’s football
“This was a trophy that we’ve never won as a club before and everyone was very adamant on making it a priority this season as well as wanting to do the treble. It’s definitely up there when it comes to my career highlights.
“But, I have to give a lot of credit to my teammates for helping us win that game because first and foremost, there are two reasons why I think we won that game; One, Ann-Katrin Berger in goal who probably put out the performance of a lifetime in that game. The unbelievable stops that she made throughout that game kept us in it. Ann’s performance that day meant she was the real hero.
“Secondly, the willingness to not give up and I think you’ve seen that a lot this season from our team. Even if we go 1-0 down, we always manage to find a way and we’ve kept finding a way this season and the resilience to bring it back.”
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