20 August 2023 , 04:00
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England's Lionesses have stormed their way through to the FIFA Women's World Cup final and are in touching distance of being crowned the winners.
As they prepare to take on Spain in a tense head-to-head for the trophy, the relatives of those taking to the pitch will be on hand to offer their support. The women have been taking part in intense training camps in order to prepare for the match just days after they nailed a 3-1 victory against Australia's Matilda's on Wednesday.
Ahead of the match, we take a look at some of the lives of the women who are on course to make sure it finally, comes home.
Alex Greenwood
Alex and former Sheffield United ace Jack have been together since they were teenagers (jackoconnell22/Instagram)
Former Bladesman Jack has never shied away from praising Alex (jackoconnell22/Instagram)Manchester City player Alex, 29, met her boyfriend and former childhood friend Jack O'Connell, 29, when they both attended Savio Salesian College in Bootle, Liverpool. But Alex isn't the only footballer in their household as Jack previously played for a club that just returned to Premier League following the EFL Championship.
Earlier this year, Jack announced his retirement from the sport after suffering a knee injury. The former centre-back for Sheffield United had been placed on the bench for almost two years. But Alex and the former Blades ace tend to keep their relationship rather low-key.
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Speaking previously about their relationship, Alex told the Guardian: "Often, at home, all Jack and I talk about is football, we watch it and analyse it all the time. People ask what I do to get away from the game but I don't want to escape it." But despite trolls previously attacking Alex online, Jack has never shied away from praising his girlfriend. During an appearance on Sky Sports, he said: "I'm really proud of her. I've been there from the very start. I used to go and watch Alex when she was 16. It's unbelievable how far it's grown now. I'm her biggest critic as well. The standard that she sets herself, she has more to come. I get goosebumps when I think about it but I think she's one of the best centre-halves in the world and she still has gears to go through."
Ella Toone
Ella plays for Manchester United while her boyfriend Joe is a Manchester City fan (Ella Toone Instagram)Manchester's very own Ella Toone set the nation alight when she scored the first goal against Spain on Wednesday. While many people in the public eye often lose touch with their accents, Ella has kept to her routes and often finds herself going viral on social media for her strong accent.
The midfielder is extremely close to her mum Karen, dad Nick and two brothers, Adam and Jack. Growing up, her dad encouraged her to have an interest in football and took her to matches when she was a baby. As she grew up, Toone started playing with "all the lads" from Hindsford Football Club.
While she plays for Manchester United, her boyfriend Joe Bunney, who plays for a non-league team is a huge fan of Manchester City. However, the Stalybridge Celtic star is still Ella's "biggest cheerleader", four years after they were introduced by mutual friends. "Those who know them think they are the perfect pairing. Joe is Ella's biggest cheerleader," a source previously said.
Lucy Bronze
Lucy Bronze recently revealed that her nephew and niece keep her grounded (Instagram/@lucybronze)Right-back Lucy, 31, is extremely family-orientated and admits her niece and nephew keep her grounded.
The star who will be watched by Freddie, three, and Alzira, two, says that they have no idea how big the game is that "Aunty Lucy" will be playing in. But while her whole family may be joining her in Australia, she admits that once they're back at the hotel, they don't discuss football.
She told the Mirror: "When I see my family I speak to my niece and my nephew who are two and three, so they don't really have a clue about anything in terms of the occasion. I sit after every game and throw ping pong balls for them in the hotel, we don't even speak about football. "My mum and my brother get really stressed (at the matches) but when I see them I don't even speak about football, it's family time and it's time to switch off.
"I've absolutely loved having them here, I've probably spent more time with them in Australia than I have in Spain or in England." Born in Berwick-upon-Tweed, Lucy often keeps much of her private life away from the public eye. Her older brother, Jorge, encouraged her to have an interest in football and her mum, Diane, but her first pair of football boots aged ten.
As a football fanatic growing up, she was the only girl on her team which was 99% male. However, her coach later told Lucy that she would be best leaving the team due to the risk of an injury. Her mother, Diane, was left enraged and fumed: "Right. No one is telling my little girl that she can't do something."
Georgia Stanway
Georgia and her boyfriend Olly took up fishing during the coronavirus lockdown after they met via Instagram in 2018 (Getty Images for The National Lottery)Georgia's brother John recently left the Australians speechless shortly after the match on Wednesday.
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In a clip shared on social media, he was seen proudly wearing an England top as he placed his finger over his mouth to silence people as Sweet Caroline proudly played in the background. He captioned the post: "Done the Aussies in their backyard!"
The 24-year-old is often seen at rugby matches cheering on her boyfriend Olly Ashall-Bolt, 24, who plays rugby league for Toulouse Olympique. When he's not in France, Olly, who has dated Georgia since messaging her on Instagram in March 2018, lives with Georgia in Widnes, Cheshire. The pair developed an unusual hobby - fishing - during lockdown and still do it regularly. Olly said: "Literally within the second time of going, Georgia caught the biggest fish ever, she’s so competitive in everything she does."
While Georgia says Olly’s rugby friends are settling down, they don't plan to get married or have children yet. She added: "We're enjoying each other's company, we're still young and just loving life. I've got trophies that I want to lift before I lift any children up."
Chloe Kelly
Chloe and her boyfriend Scott live in Manchester with their adorable dog, Otis (Instagram)The youngest of seven siblings, Chloe often shares glimpses of her life online. The 25-year-old kick-started her career at Queen's Park Rangers before joining Arsenal's Centre of Excellence when she was a teen. But she later joined Everton for two loan periods before making a permanent move in 2018.
Just two years later, she rejected a new contract from the club and made the decision to move to Manchester City on a two-and-a-half-year contract. This year, she extended that same contract for another three and a half years. Having found happiness in the city, Chloe lives in Manchester with her boyfriend Scott and their dog Otis.
Just two months ago, the happy couple celebrated their third anniversary and Chloe took to social media to gush over her partner. She penned: "3 years forever to go, Happy anniversary my [love]." But despite now being based up north, and having grown up in West London, Chloe is still incredibly close to her family and often shares snaps of them with her fans.
She has one older sister and five older brothers.
Alessia Russo
Alessia's dad, Mario, is Met FC's all-time top goal scorer (Instagram)
She previously studied at the University of North Carolina (Getty Images)Striker Alessia scored the final goal against Australia as England sailed through to the final. The 24-year-old who last year became famous for her backheeled goal against Sweden at the Euro 2022 is on course to join the elite club of players who have won the tournament for England.
As a teen attending the St Simon Stock Catholic College in Kent, Russo had a keen interest in sports, often taking part in athletics, cricket, netball and cross country. But, she's not the only sports star in her family. Her brother Giorgio has been on the football scene for some time, having played for various non-league clubs.
Meanwhile, her older brother Luca has represented England in track and field at Under 20 events. But, her dad, Mario, is the all-time top goalscorer for the non-league team, Met Police FC. At a young age, Mario noticed that Alessia had a talent and instantly moved her from a girl's football team to a boy's.
Aged eight, she was a mascot for the former Charlton Athletic captain, Casey Stoney, who in 2020, would sign Alessia to Manchester United. When it comes to studies, she was offered a scholarship by Chelsea but she later decided to turn it down and instead, headed to the University of North Carolina and studied for a degree in sports and exercise science.
Mary Earps
Mary keeps her life away from the pitch extremely private (1maryearps /Instagram)
She was recently crowned the Best FIFA Women's Goalkeeper in the World (Andy Stenning/Daily Mirror)Nottingham-born Mary Earps has officially been crowned the Best FIFA Women's Goalkeeper in the World and it's no surprise. But despite her victory, it's not always been plain sailing and the star initially believed her footballing career was over several years ago.
Away from the pitch the pro player lives her best life travelling the world and spending time with her loved ones at home. The 30-year-old is close with her family and has said they all keep her grounded with her new-found success. Speaking to GQ Magazine, she revealed that it was during a kickabout in the garden with her dad and brother that she decided she wanted to be a professional footballer.
But in 2020, she hoped she would be called up for the England team but Carly Telford, Ellie Roebuck, Hannah Hampton and Sandy MacIver were picked before her. She said: "I got to a point where I felt I had sort of reached my limits. I had given football a good go, but wasn't quite good enough. I had responsibilities, I had a mortgage and it wasn't adding up."
The goalie who has a degree in information management and business studies opts to keep her personal life quite private and rarely shares it on social media for fans. Although, she is the TikTok queen of the Lionesses with a following of nearly 700,000, and regularly joins in the latest trends or shows behind-the-scenes footage of matches. Jet-setting Mary also keeps her followers updated on her tips, having recently been to Madrid, Dubai, Australia and Berlin.
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