Natasha Jonas says Nikita Parris will fight to get in the England squad

Natasha Jonas believes it’s only a matter of time before little sister Nikita Parris is called up to the senior England squad.

On-loan Manchester City Women’s striker Parris has been in fine fettle this term, scoring four goals in five appearances since joining the club from Everton at the start of the season.

Parris is an integral part of Mo Marley's U23 squad, and Olympian Jonas - who called time on her 10-year boxing career earlier this month - is confident Parris will eventually make the breakthrough as a senior England international.

She’s got a bit of a feisty side to her and she doesn’t like to lose as well which is always a good thing.

"Nikita's a really, really good talented player and hopefully a senior England squad call-up beckons for her," Jonas told Sky Sports. "I definitely think she’ll get there.

"She’s got a bit of a feisty side to her and she doesn’t like to lose as well which is always a good thing.

"I know how badly she wants it and she might feel like it’s taking a long time but when she gets there she’ll be there to stay. She’ll fight for her place and I don’t think she’ll let that slip by."

At London 2012, Jonas became the first British female to box at an Olympic Games but things may have been different had injury not halted her own footballing ambitions.

'Injured'

"I had a go myself and got to a quite a good standard," the 2012 Women's World Championship bronze medallist said.

"I managed to get a scholarship to go to America and worked my way up to a better team at a better school but unfortunately I got injured.

"I’m naturally left-footed and I played as a left winger but sadly when I got injured it was the end of my football career and the end of my scholarship as well.

"I've known (10-time world champion and ex-Ireland midfielder) Katie Taylor a long time and I've had a few chats with her about playing football but there were quite a few of the lads in the GB squad that were pretty handy as well.

"Anthony Ogogo played to a good standard and Anthony Joshua was pretty decent.

"I know a few studies have shown that a lot of the characteristics and qualities and skills that you need for football are transferrable to boxing. It’s a bit crazy because they are two totally different sports and obviously one is a team game and one is just you versus another person.

"That worked better for me because I hated the fact that sometimes I’d have a good game but 10 other players in my team perhaps didn’t so I suppose I wasn’t the greatest team player. But for me boxing was the perfect sport."