Unleashing the Roar: Astonishing Transformations of Lionesses Ella Toone, Jess Carter, Bethany England, and Esme Morgan in Just One Year

Toone: I've worked on my strengths as well as weaknesses

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England's Ella Toone scored against Brazil in the Women's Finalissima at Wembley a few months ago

Toone's success has only grown since her remarkable goal in the Euro 2022 final against Germany at Wembley. Over the past year, she has accomplished even more, securing two additional trophies for England - the Arnold Clark Cup and Women's Finalissima. Not only did she contribute with a goal in the latter competition, but she also earned her place in the first domestic cup final with Manchester United.

Looking back on the past year, she expressed, "In the realm of football, even the smallest details shape you not only as a player but also as an individual.

"For me personally, participating in our inaugural FA Cup final at Wembley was an immense experience that taught me invaluable lessons and further ignited my ambition to accomplish greater feats. Each training session demands utmost dedication and commitment to becoming the finest player possible.

I constantly strive to improve my technical abilities, both in identifying areas for growth and developing my existing strengths and weaknesses.

Throughout this year, I have dedicated a significant amount of time to enhancing my body control, particularly in exploiting spaces and making more effective decisions in the attacking zone. I will continue to focus on refining these aspects, with the hope that they will prove beneficial in the upcoming World Cup.

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It will be only the second major tournament for Toone, but an entirely different prospect from last summer's home Euros. However, the midfielder is prepared for the challenge.

"There will undoubtedly be several challenges and difficulties to face when being away from home for an extended period of time and being on the opposite side of the world with time differences," she remarked.

"However, I believe we have an exceptional group of individuals who truly comprehend each other and will consistently provide support. So, whenever someone is feeling down, we will be there to uplift them."

England: How Spurs move can help at World Cup

Despite facing even tougher opponents, we are filled with excitement as we step onto the field and embark on this journey together. Our main focus is to support and protect one another throughout our time out there.

While some players were undoubtedly guaranteed a spot in Sarina Wiegman's World Cup squad, Tottenham striker England had to fight diligently to secure her place.

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In January, she made a significant move from Chelsea to Spurs for a British-record fee. This decision was partly driven by her ambition to secure a place in the World Cup team. It proved to be a successful move for England as well, as she scored 12 goals in 12 WSL games for Tottenham. Consequently, she regained her place in the Lionesses squad and joined them for their journey to Australia and New Zealand.

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Bethany England, who joined Spurs from Chelsea in January, managed to score an impressive 12 goals.

When asked about her decision to make the move earlier this year, England stated that there were numerous factors that influenced her, with the World Cup being one of the significant reasons.

From the onset, it presented a stark contrast. I'd even go as far as to say it was a blend of experiencing culture shock and adhering to a norm, given their ongoing struggles. Prior to this, I had never encountered a relegation battle, making it an entirely new ordeal. When you are aware of the stakes at hand, it becomes increasingly difficult to shield oneself from the emotional impact that ensues.

Every day was a relentless battle, in stark contrast to my time at Chelsea where victory had become second nature, and such a feeling had long been absent.

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Bethany England emerged victorious in Euro 2022 alongside the England squad during the preceding summer. Consequently, I found myself assuming a newfound responsibility as a prominent leader. I gallantly led the team from the forefront, persistently endeavoring to orchestrate impactful actions despite the reduced possession I had grown accustomed to.

In a way, it has altered elements of my game while bolstering others. Some may argue that it has proved beneficial for me, but truthfully, had I remained on the sidelines, I wouldn't have reached this point today.

With any luck, it will assist me [at the World Cup] by contributing goals for the team. As a striker, my primary responsibility is to put the ball in the net, regardless of how it occurs.

The most significant aspect is that leading up to the World Cup, Sarina has had more opportunities to observe me playing regularly, scoring goals. In contrast, heading into the Euros, she had only glimpses of my performance.

They already recognize my ability to contribute to this team, and hopefully, I will be given the chance to demonstrate it.

Carter: My slow-burn season

Chelsea defender Carter has been a regular presence in the England squad since the Euros last summer. However, she admitted that the start of the 2022/23 season was challenging for her as she struggled to secure a permanent starting spot.

She explained, "Personally, after the Euros, I didn't enter the season in my best form or physical condition because I didn't play much. I wasn't at match fitness when the season began, so it was a slow process for me."

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"I barely played until shortly before Christmas, which made it quite challenging to transition from the Euros to the season. However, I slowly regained my form and was able to contribute to Chelsea's performance throughout the season."

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To be honest, I didn't handle it effectively initially. However, I realized that I needed to quickly determine the necessary steps to regain my fitness and energy. This involved engaging in open and honest discussions with both the England team and my club on how to achieve that.

Carter also holds a distinct position as a consistent winner, having triumphed with both her club and country. Chelsea accomplished another domestic double last season by winning the WSL and FA Cup, in addition to securing two more trophies with the England team.

When questioned about the resemblances and disparities between the two teams, Carter elucidated, "I believe the similarity lies in the exceptionally high standard and the profound depth and caliber present within the squads of both teams."

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England and Chelsea defender Jess Carter has described her 2022/23 season as a 'slow burn' despite winning trophies

In terms of differences, they simply represent varying styles of play. Initially, I had difficulty adjusting and establishing relationships with players I seldom played with when I first arrived in England. This process sometimes takes time to develop.

Despite our similarities, each manager holds a slightly different philosophy. Both managers have achieved significant success, and it can be challenging to adapt to their respective philosophies. However, when we are here, Sarina effectively and easily conveys her expectations and desires for the team, making it simple to align with her vision.

Morgan: My mentality has changed a lot this year

Morgan, the defender for Man City, is set to experience her inaugural major tournament this summer as she has become an essential part of Wiegman's squad in recent months.

This marks a remarkable comeback for the 22-year-old after enduring a leg fracture in September 2021. Despite the setback, she successfully solidified her place in both Man City's starting XI and the England team.

Reflecting on the past year, she expressed, "Over the course of the last 12 months, I have learned the value of consistency. Unlike my time at City where I didn't play every week, this year, I successfully secured a spot in the team as a regular starter.

"To achieve this, I focused on maintaining my dedication in training, staying consistently on track, analyzing game performances, and identifying areas for personal growth."

Being on camps has been an incredible learning experience for me. The opportunity to be surrounded by the best athletes from my own country and even from other countries has taken me to a whole new level. The games against Australia in particular have been eye-opening for me, teaching me valuable lessons in terms of preparation and mindset.

Throughout this journey, I have gathered numerous valuable lessons and have grown immensely. The mental aspect of my game has made tremendous progress this year, enabling me to maintain confidence, relish in the joy of playing football, and be grateful for the ability to take part in the sport after overcoming a lengthy absence last year.

Morgan has come into a pressure cooker environment, with many expecting big things from England following their Euros victory.

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Esme Morgan will feature at her first major tournament for England this summer

Internally, we don't actually have much awareness of these things," she explained. "When we're part of the squad, focused on our training and daily matches, we tend to block out a lot of the external commentary. This is definitely how I perceive it.

We all appear to be quite at ease and not excessively fixated on our desired accomplishments. Of course, we strive to perform well, but we also recognize that there are numerous highly skilled teams with similar aspirations as ours.

What is the World Cup schedule?

In my opinion, the invaluable experience gained by the girls who participated in the previous Euros will play a crucial role once the competition commences and the excitement reaches even greater heights.

The group stage is scheduled to kick off on July 20 and will span a duration of two weeks, culminating on August 3. During this period, the group winners and runners-up will advance to the round of 16, which is set to take place from August 5 to August 8.

The quarter-finals are set to take place on August 11 and 12 in Wellington, Auckland, Brisbane, and Sydney. The first semi-final is scheduled for August 15 in Auckland, while the second semi-final will be held on August 16 at the Accor Stadium in Sydney. The final will also be held at the Accor Stadium on August 20.

A third-place play-off will be played the day before the final on August 19 in Brisbane.