Olympic gold medallist Helen Richardson-Walsh believes England can win Euro 2017
Tuesday 25 July 2017 10:48, UK
Olympic gold medallist Helen Richardson-Walsh says Team GB’s hockey girls are ‘rooting’ for the Lionesses at Women’s Euro 2017.
A little under a year ago in Rio, Richardson-Walsh and her team-mates made history by stunning world champions the Netherlands to land Team GB's first-ever women's hockey gold medal.
Mark Sampson's England side hammered Scotland 6-0 in their Euro 2017 opener and followed that up with a 2-0 win over Spain in Breda on Sunday.
The Lionesses were brimming with confidence heading into this tournament and Richardson-Walsh shares the optimism within the England camp that they can have a serious crack at becoming European champions for the very first time.
"We're all absolutely rooting for the Lionesses just like we were for the cricket girls," Richardson-Walsh told Sky Sports.
"They were the highest-ranked European team at the last Women's World Cup [when they finished third and took home the bronze medal] and that experience will hold them in good stead now.
"It's shaping up to be a great tournament and I think that maybe we can win it."
The Lionesses suffered an agonising exit from the 2015 Women's World Cup after an injury-time Laura Bassett own goal against Japan in the semi-finals.
England won the hearts of the nation during that tournament in Canada, as did the Team GB women's hockey team at the 2016 Rio Olympics 12 months later.
Those memories are still fresh in Richardson-Walsh's mind, who admitted it took some time for her to fully appreciate the magnitude of what the Team GB girls achieved at the 2016 Olympics.
"I've seen it from both sides. I've seen how this country loves its team sports and when it's going well they really get behind them and they're there all the way," she said.
"We felt at it at the Olympics and it was similar for the Lionesses in the World Cup.
"When we gold people were saying it was one of those 'where were you moments', and that threw me a little bit.
"So many people came up to us afterwards and said they'd watched and that it was amazing, but it was a wide range of people, and that's when you know you really have captured the nation."
