Mead eyes Euros repeat for England

DARLING of England’s coronation as European champions three years ago, Beth Mead is back among the goals ahead of Euro 2025 after the toughest moments of her career on and off the field.

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Mead became a household name after her six goals on home soil led the Lionesses to England’s sole major tournament victory in the men’s or women’s game since 1966.

But even that moment of elation was tinged with the emotion of her mother’s battle with cancer.

June Mead’s diagnosis with ovarian cancer a year before the Euros provided her daughter with a “motivation I never knew that I had”, the Arsenal forward later revealed.

“People on the outside just saw me breaking all these records, winning all these awards,” Mead told the Players’ Tribune.

“Mum was on such a high watching me that season. I think for all of us, football was our anchor. It was the one thing that was distracting us, and giving us so much joy.