Toni Duggan admits Scotland rivalry puts stakes higher for England
Wednesday 19 July 2017 09:15, UK
Toni Duggan believes form will go out of the window when England Lionesses face Scotland in their opening European Championships game on Wednesday.
The 25-year-old striker, who has made 30 appearances for England since 2013, insists the squad are aware of the history between the nations as they prepare for their meeting in Utrecht.
"Obviously it's the opening game and we're all looking forward to starting our tournament but the fact that it's against Scotland, it's a big rivalry in any sport including women's football," Duggan told Sportswomen.
"We're really looking forward to it and I'm sure the Scots are looking forward to it as well."
England are ranked fifth in the world ahead of the tournament while Scotland sit 21st, however, Duggan expects the game to be decided by determination rather than rankings.
"It's like a derby, form goes out the window, everything goes out the window and it just comes down to who wants it the most on that day," she added.
"I know because I've played against Scotland in the younger age groups, also at senior level, and they won't give up until the final whistle so we'll have to match them and be on our game and I'm sure we will."
Following the meeting with Scotland, the Lionesses travel to Breda to face Spain on July 23 before finishing their group stage games against Portugal in Tilburg on July 27.
