SPAINFUL

Williamson desperate to bury the heartache of missing out on England's 2023 World Cup Final

- BY TOM VICTOR in Basel

LEAH WILLIAMSON still feels the pain of having to watch the 2023 World Cup Final from the stands, but can put that all behind her today.

Williamson captained England to Euros glory in 2022 but suffered an ACL injury the following spring, preventing her from playing a part in Australia and New Zealand.

The Lionesses lost to Spain in that final, but can take revenge on the same opponents in Basel with Williamson again wearing the armband.

"It was awful," Williamson said of her World Cup heartbreak.

"Once you're part of a team, being on the outside, I know how tired you are when you get to that stage and how much a tournament takes out of you and to be completely useless, that probably bothered me the most.

"That feels like a really long time ago, which is probably a benefit to the whole squad, but anybody would give anything to be a part of their team when they're going through moments like that.

"It was tough. The only plus was sitting next to Jill [Scott] and sharing it with somebody who knew what it felt like."