{"id":300846,"date":"2023-11-29T08:24:35","date_gmt":"2023-11-29T08:24:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportstons.com\/?p=300846"},"modified":"2023-11-29T08:24:35","modified_gmt":"2023-11-29T08:24:35","slug":"beth-mead-on-her-england-return-the-things-ive-dealt-with-have-made-me-a-stronger-person","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportstons.com\/soccer\/beth-mead-on-her-england-return-the-things-ive-dealt-with-have-made-me-a-stronger-person\/","title":{"rendered":"Beth Mead on her England return: \u2018The things I\u2019ve dealt with have made me a stronger person\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Mead laughs as she returns to St George\u2019s Park after being named in the England squad <\/p>\n
Instead of being in Australia with the Lionesses this summer, she was at home watching the World Cup on TV with captain Leah Williamson, who suffered the same injury four months after Mead. If missing the World Cup was cruel, having to watch as England narrowly lost the final to Spain was just as hard. The final was a tough watch for them both. \u201cWe struggled,\u201d Mead admits. \u201cWe just want to help the team do the best that they can do. We got that taken away from us.\u201d<\/p>\n
How England are in need of the return of the Euros golden boot winner. Defeat last month to Belgium left the Lionesses in third place in their Nations League group, with top spot required to secure a place for Great Britain at the Paris Olympics next summer. England, who have lacked a spark in games since the World Cup, must now beat both the Netherlands at Wembley and Scotland at Hampden while hoping other results go their way.<\/p>\n
Mead, who missed out on the 2020 Olympics after she was controversially left out of Hege Riise\u2019s Team GB squad, famously sparking the form that led into the Euros the following summer, is as motivated as anyone to get the job done. Now she returns to the Lionesses with a renewed perspective, taking to each training session with a sense of fresh enthusiasm. \u201cI feel like a kid again,\u201d she smiled.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Mead in training ahead of facing the Netherlands on Friday <\/p>\n
After all, the thought of returning to England was Mead\u2019s motivation during rehab. Now Wembley also offers a meeting that perhaps Mead could not have dared for during the dark days, the chance to face Miedema on the pitch when the Lionesses host the Netherlands, now both players have recovered from their ACLs. Even thinking about those moments with the people who lived and breathed what Mead went through during rehabilitation is enough to make her emotional.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it\u2019s a nice moment for both of us,\u201d Mead says. \u201cIt\u2019s a hard journey – who does their ACLs at the same time?\u201d she laughs. \u201cWe\u2019ve seen the good and bad days from each other. But I\u2019m proud of my journey and I\u2019m very proud and happy to have had the support around me that I\u2019ve had during this time. I feel very lucky and blessed to have had that.\u201d<\/p>\n