Beth England on "humbling" journey from 5am chippy shifts to Women's World Cup
Lioness Bethany England has described her "humbling" journey from 5am shifts in a fish and chip shop to playing at a World Cup final as a "pinch me" moment. The 29-year-old worked part-time at the Wellington Street chippy in Barnsley while studying her A-Levels and training with the Doncaster Belles. Every weekend for three years she would clean up drunk people's leftovers, dreaming of representing her country at a World Cup.
But 10,500 miles away from that moment, Beth revealed those memories keep her humble - despite now being a "fish and chip snob". She said: "I'd say I'm probably a little bit of a fish and chips snob, because I know what a good fish is. I don't like the skin on my fish either. And if anyone wants one battered and I'm sure I'd be able to do a good job for you. But I think yeah, when I look back to working in the chippy doing a shift at 5am - cleaning up drunken people's leftover food or alcohol bottles and I'm now playing in a major tournament.
"I think that for me is very much a pinch me moment. Everyone's story is different. Everyone's got their own ways in which they've got here and I think it's quite special because it's really humbling as well.
"Things like that show you are just a normal person, which is what I feel like I am, and we do everyday things. But then you come to a tournament like this and you think wow, there's millions and millions of eyes watching me in these moments.
"And I just have to make sure I'm at my best and ready. I think it's special and it's moments like that, that you can really treasure in your career because you know where you've come from and how hard you've worked to get to what you want to achieve."
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Beth's shift at the chippy would start at 10pm and finish in the early hours of every Saturday and Sunday. But after the takeaway permanently closed, Beth had to get her typically British fix elsewhere.
England's mother, Lisa, brought a suitcase full of Heinz Baked Beans to the World Cup for her daughter (HEINZ)Ahead of flying to Oz for the World Cup, she revealed her favourite pre-match meal is an honest plate of beans on toast. And Beth has been missing her go-to snack so much so that mum, Lisa, flew out with a whole suitcase packed with tins.
Lisa said: "I'm so proud of Bethany and the entire team. When Heinz suggested she might be missing both her mum and her favourite pre-match meal, I jumped at the chance to bring Bethany her favourite beans.
"Even in her younger years she would have beans on toast as a pre-match meal, and now it’s stuck with her. She’s a total home bird, so she'll be over the moon that I'm able to bring her some home comforts."
Lucy Cooke, Marketing Manager, at Heinz Beanz joked: "We’d hate for Bethany not to have her favourite pre-match beans on toast on Saturday."
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