The 2022/2023 season was officially over and it was soon time to start preparing for the World Cup. We had an England camp before we were set to head to New Zealand for our first game, in Wellington. In our group, it was determined that we would play Thailand, Switzerland and Sweden. We were quietly confident that we could move onto the round of 16, however, some things are never too predictable.
I was excited to head back to Australia, for our second two games (in Adelaide and Melbourne.) Last time I was in Australia, I was with Hayley. It was the vacation of a lifetime, and I did truly miss it. I did truly miss her. But it's hard to describe the difference I feel when I'm with Leah. With Leah, it feels as if it is meant to be. It has felt that despite everything we went through, and despite the years of the miscommunication, we found each other. Although the timing was far from perfect, I knew she was. She was perfect for me.
"Camp starts tomorrow," Leah said to me, as we lay with each other on the couch.
"Indeed it does," I replied.
"And then the World Cup," she added.
"And then World Cup," I repeated.
"How are you feeling?"
"I'm good," I said, reassuringly, "I'm excited for it. It's going to be the biggest one yet."
"I just want us to do something great, pull off a miracle or something," Leah said.
"Me too, it would be the dream to win a World Cup," I answered. This would be, possibly, my last chance. My last chance to win a major tournament. It was all I ever wanted.
We arrived at camp the next day, and when Georgia saw me, she ran up.
"Ettie!" She screamed, hugging me tightly, "I've missed you."
"Missed you too George," I said to her.
"I can't believe that we're going to another World Cup," Georgia said, "it just feels so surreal."
"I know, it really does, it really, truly does."
Georgia and I walked back to our room, and we lay on the beds, chatting for what felt like hours. I loved Georgia. She was someone that never shied away from her dreams, and always played like it would be her last. She gave me hope and ambition, and pushed me further than anyone else could.
"Ok," Sarina said in the conference room before our first training as a squad, "congratulations on being selected for the Lionesses' 2023 World Cup Roster." Everyone applauded as she said this. "I'm really happy with the depth of talent we have here in this room. Also a round of applause to our captain Leah, and vice-captain Lucy." Everyone applauded again. "Now, over the next few weeks, we are going to be preparing for the tournament. I want everyone to be giving everything to training and conditioning, because that is what wins us tournaments. I will also be playing around with combinations to see what works best, and how we can exploit other teams. Now, everyone, let's get started!"
Over the next few weeks, we trained and we trained hard. It was as if everyone was trying to prove something. Trying to prove that they were made for this team. For me, however, I was just trying to last. I was just trying to keep my heart in check, making sure I was able to perform my best without jeopardising my shot at playing the first game in New Zealand, and that game would also be my 100th cap for England.
"I can't believe you've played 100 games for England," Keira said to me, after training.
"Well, I've only played 99," I said to her, not wanting to assume I'd even play the first match, despite hoping I would.
"But 99 is crazy," she said to me, "Lucy only got her 100th a few months ago."
"Yeah, Luce has had a few injuries though," I replied, "I've been lucky to play most matches since I was 17."
"It's still crazy," Keira added, "100 is a milestone a lot of people won't reach and you've done it by 26."
"You will too," I said to her, "I know you will."
Keira and I had to go and do some interviews to advertise the World Cup. Since we are twins, and because our story is so interesting, we are often the poster girls for the major tournaments, to try and get England behind us. I used to hate having to do the videos. I'd always complain to Keira, telling her that I didn't want to have to be in them. But now, I know that when I am older, and look back at this time in my life, having these videos will be amazing for Keira and me. Being able to watch us in our prime, laughing and having fun, and talking about what it means to us to go to a World Cup will be special.
Keira and I were scheduled to go on This Morning. We were let off training early that day, and headed to my room to jump on the video conference. We weren't able to go into the studio, so we video chatted in for the interview.
"So, first of all, we just want to say a huge congratulations to both of you two for your selections into the Lionesses' squad for the World Cup. That's a massive achievement. How are you both feeling?" Phil, one of the interviewers' asked Keira and me.
"Yeah, we're both really excited for the amazing opportunity to play in another World Cup. This is going to be my second, and Ettie's third, so I think we're just going to grab this opportunity with two hands, and make the most of our time in Australia and New Zealand."
"Many thought you may be in doubt, Juliette, for selection, as you had been struggling with a heart condition over the past few years. How did that affect your preparation?" The other interview, Holly, asked me.
"Yeah, I mean, obviously being a professional athlete and having a heart condition isn't two things you want to happen, but I've had to realise what I wanted, and I knew I wanted to make another major tournament, and I knew I wanted to help England win and hopefully take home that trophy, so, I guess, I've made some sacrifices but I wouldn't change anything."
"Now, you two are making history as the first twins to ever go to two World Cups together, what does that mean to you both?" Phil asked us.
"It means a lot," Keira said, "growing up together and playing together, we both knew what we wanted and that was to become professional footballers, and over the past few years, being able to live our dream, together, has been something neither of us can even begin to put into words."
"Do you guys ever think you have an upper hand on the pitch, because you are twins?" Holly asked.
"It's hard to say," I started to respond, "I think it would be slightly more obvious if we were forwards, as I believe our connection and our ability to read each other would be more obvious to just the casual viewer, but as we are both more in the defensive half, we read each other in slightly different ways. I know when Keira is going to try and make a run up the wing, for example, and I know when she is going to try and cross it in from the top of the box. So, I do think we have that connection, it's just sometimes difficult for fans and viewers to fully see that."
"So, Keira, you play as the defensive midfielder and Juliette you play at the left back, but can switch into that defensive midfielder role if needed, or even center back, as we saw at Chelsea a few times over the years, so how does it feel being able to take to the pitch together?"
"I love playing for England, we both do, but it makes it even better when Ett is out there with me," Keira started to say, "I just feel whole, when I'm out there."
"Would you say that is because you are twins?"
"For sure," Keira replied, "Unless you're a twin, I think it's hard to explain that connection and bond you have with your other half. It's unbreakable. If something happened to Ettie, I would feel just as broken." I looked at Keira and smiled, knowing that I felt the same. It was as if Keira and I shared one soul, in a sense. We were one bigger being.
"So, moving on to the team," Holly said, "you guys have a very strong squad. Four players just won the Champions League, three were runners up. How does it feel going into a tournament with such a deep and impressive squad list?"
"It's settling knowing we have such depth in our squad. I know that this is our strongest team, and I have complete faith in Sarina and the selectors, and so I know I'm just excited to be able to get there and start playing," I answered.
"Well, thank you both for sitting and chatting with us this afternoon. We wish you and the Lionesses' the best of luck at the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup!"
We soon returned downstairs to the girls, who had just grabbed dinner. Keira and I went to the buffet, and served ourselves some food.
"Those do seem to get easier," I said to Kie, as I placed some salad on my plate.
"Its confidence," Keira replied, "you're more comfortable in yourself and that shows, and a bonus is you know how to talk, and talk well."
"Is that a compliment?" I asked, sarcastically.
"Me? Giving you a compliment? What? No, never!" Keira joked back.
We both went over and sat down on the table with Georgia, Ella, Lucy, Alex and Leah.
"How'd your interview go?" Leah asked me.
"Fine," I replied, "they always ask the same questions anyways. Don't you have one tomorrow?"
"I have a few," Leah answered, "comes with the territory, I guess."
"You're good at speaking. You know how to articulate your words nicely." Leah laughed slightly, before grabbing my hand. At this point, Jordan walked by the table, and saw Leah's hand. I looked away, trying to release my hand from Leah's, not wanting to make anyone uncomfortable. But Leah wouldn't let go. Instead, she looked at me, and gave me a reassuring smile.
"I'm not letting go," Leah said, "This isn't a secret and I'm not going to hide." I was happy she felt like this. For years I wanted her to be this way - confident in herself and our relationship.
As I was scrolling instagram that night, I came across an edit I was tagged in. It was a compilation of videos from Keira and my childhood, of us playing football together, then parallelled with us now. Parallelled with us now playing for England. Over the top, the song Night Changes played.
Walshtwinsfan: made this edit for @keirawalsh and @ettiewalsh7 you guys are my inspiration. Thank you for both showing me what it looks like to live your dreams. Ill be cheering for you from england x
It was weirdly emotional, seeing an edit like that. I've never played without Keira for too long, and she's never played without me. Despite being in different teams, we always found a way back to each other. I could never imagine one of us playing while the other couldn't. That's when I knew I was going to fight to stay on that damn national team.
The last day of camp soon rolled around, and we headed out to the pitch for the final training session before getting on a plane to New Zealand the next day.
"I'm so tired," I said to Georgia, as we sat on the side of the pitch about to start training.
"Didn't sleep?" She asked, and I nodded. "Nerves?"
"Not sure," I replied, even though I knew. I knew why I couldn't sleep. A pit in my chest was building as anxiety crashed into my heart.
"Well, you can sleep on the plane tomorrow," Georgia answered, "the flight is over 24 hours."
"Jesus Christ," I laughed back, "that's going to be fun."
While we trained, I ignored the pinging in my heart. It wasn't painful, but I could feel it, but I chose to ignore it. I wasn't going to let it ruin anything before I got to the World Cup, before I played the first game, before I played in that final.
"Leah! PASS!" I cried out, as we played a small 5 v 5. Leah passed the ball to me on the left wing, and I crossed it into Fran, who headed it into the back of the net. Fran always seems, to me, to be a silent achiever. She goes about her work, and does it well, but is often masked behind the greats such as Sam, or Pernille. Fran and I have built this indestructible connection, and I truly do believe she is our best forward in the squad.
"Nice shot!" I said to her, as we rested.
"Nice cross," she replied.
The next morning, the entire squad headed to the airport. As we got on the bus, I went into a window seat while Leah sat on the aisle. She got her earphones out and put one in my ear, and started playing some music. Leah always has the best music taste and knows what songs to play for what occasion.
"Do you have everything?" Leah asked me, as we were about to arrive at the airport.
"Yes," I replied.
"Got your passport, wallet, charger, phone, medicine..." Leah continued to ask.
"Yes, yes, I've got everything," I answered again.
"Cause once we get on the plane-" Leah said again, before I interrupted her.
"Stop worrying," I said, kissing her softly, "we didn't forget anything." I could feel she was tensing up slightly. She was nervous. It was her first World Cup as captain, and she knew there was a lot of pressure on us. We had missed out on the Euros the year before, and there was a lot riding on this tournament, and as captain, she felt that. She felt the people of England wanting a win.
"Coffee?" Georgia asked me, as we had checked in and were sitting at the gate. I sat up from beside Leah and went with Georgia to grab some food.
"Don't you want to sleep on the flight?" I asked Georgia, as she offered a strong, black coffee.
"Probably," she replied, taking a sip, "but I also really need a coffee."
"Fair."
"How are you feeling?" Georgia asked me, as we walked around Heathrow airport, trying to waste time before boarding.
"About what?"
"Everything, the tournament, your heart, Leah..."
"Yeah, it's good." I replied so sternly, that I don't think I was subtle enough.
"What's up?" she asked, knowing I was lying.
"Nothing," I replied, "literally nothing."
"Ettie, we've been best friends for seven years, I know when something is up." Do I tell Georgia? Do I tell her that I've felt something in my heart? No. No I don't.
"George, I'm just nervous," I replied, "I really want to win."
"I know, I do too, but in the end, all we can do is go and try our best. I have a feeling we will do well. We have a strong team."
"That we do," I replied.
The flight was long. Really long. Most of the girls had never flown to Australia or New Zealand, whereas I had. I had quite a few times. I went with Hayley to many christmas' and weddings, some funerals and a lot of birthdays. For a few years, Australia was my second home.
"Wow," I said to Georgia, as I peered over her to look out the window, "look at that." We were flying over New Zealand, and we could see the long white clouds that spread the skies beneath us, and peaking through were the hills of green, and seas of blue.
"Want a fun fact?" I asked Georgia.
"Hit me," she replied.
"In Maori, New Zealand is called Aotearoa, which loosely translates to 'the land of the long white clouds.'"
"How do you know that?" Georgia asked me.
"Can always count on me to have a good fun fact," I replied back, laughing.
We soon arrived in Wellington, and all the girls were shattered. We headed to the hotel, and as we drove on the bus, I fell asleep on Leah's shoulder. Her arm was wrapped around me, as I closed my eyes.
"Ett," Leah whispered to me, "wake up. We're here." As I woke up, I knew it was time to start preparing. It was the World Cup. We were going to be a team to be reckoned with.
Our first game was at the Wellington Regional Stadium, and we were all beyond excited. We were versing Thailand, so although they are a solid team, we were expected to pull through with the win.
"So," Leah said, as we were in the locker room. She was speaking as the captain, rather than my partner. "Not only is this our first game of the tournament, but it is also Ettie's 100th cap. So, we have a little video for you, Ett. We hope you enjoy." Ella pressed play on the remote, and a video started to play. Mum and Dad soon popped up on the screen.
"Hi my darling Jules," Mum started to say, "congratulations on 100 caps for the Lionesses'. We are so incredibly proud of you and what you've achieved over the past nine years. We both love you endlessly, and although we can't be there with you in person, know that we are forever watching and cheering you and Keira on. We love you Jules. Go and play your absolute heart out."
Next, Lucy came on.
"Hey Ettie, congratulations on 100 caps for England. I can't believe how far you've come, from that shy 17 year old in Canada, to now England's best left back. I've loved being able to play beside you through most of those 100 games, and I can only hope that we get to play another 100 together. Congratulations, Ett, you deserve this."
Then, it was Georgia.
"Wow, Ettie, I'm so proud of you. Reaching 100 caps is an incredible milestone and I know that we are all so in awe of you and everything you do. You are a leader on and off the pitch, and I look up to you every single day. Thank you for being the best room mate the Lionesses' has to offer and for being my best friend."
And lastly, it was Keira.
"Hi Ett, this is kinda weird speaking to you through a camera but I'll let it slide cause it is your 100 game. Congratulations on 100 caps, Ett. I'm so incredibly proud of everything you have achieved as a footballer. I can still picture the two little girls who used to sit in their rooms every night dreaming of playing for England, and to think that you have done that, a hundred times, is something so surreal. I'm so proud to not only call you my team mate, but also my sister. Thank you for always wearing your heart on your sleeve and showing me what it is like to be one of the fairest the game has to offer. I love you Ettie. Go out and play your best. You deserve this." A tear trickled down my face, and I went over to Keira and hugged her tightly.
"Thank you," I said to her.
"I love you."
"I love you too."
I was then awarded with a Walsh jersey, with 100 in place of the number 7. I smiled with the jersey, and soon it was time to head out.
We played incredibly well. I was in my preferred position of left back, and Lucy was in right back. Ellie was in goals, and Leah and Steph were the centerbacks. Keira, Jordan and Georgia were playing in the midfield, and Fran, Ellen and Beth were the forwards. It only took us two minutes to find the back of the net. Fran scored through a Georgia corner, and from there, there was no stopping us.
By half time, we had banked five goals to Thailand's zero. Fran had scored two, Ellen had scored one, and Georgia had scored two. By the second half, we kept pushing forward. The more goals we had, the better our goal difference would be. Ellen soon got another goal, and Beth got two as well. We had quite a few subs come on, as to give everyone some game time. By the 90th minute, the only players that hadn't come off were Leah, Lucy and me. We were up 8-0. I decided to try and get a goal, to make the 100th cap even more special. I dribbled up the left wing, and passed it into Georgia, she quickly cut it back out to me, and I drove into the box. I flicked the ball over the Thai keeper, and it went into the ring. I chuckled to myself slightly, and Lucy came over and hugged me.
We ended the game 9-0, and it was a convincing win. Sarina was happy, Leah was happy, Lucy was happy and I was happy. It was an amazing day to be English.
"A goal on your hundredth?" Keira said to me, coming onto the pitch, "very proud!"
"By the end, I just wanted to attack and try and get a shot, and somehow it worked," I joked.
"It's called skill, Ettie. Do you know what that is?" Keira laughed back.
"No, sorry, don't think I've heard of that word before." We cracked up laughing, and some photographers were snapping some pictures. We got a serious one together too, and soon I went over to do an interview.
"Congratulations Juliette, on the convincing win and also your 100th cap. How does it feel to have pulled on the England jersey 100 times?" The interviewer asked me.
"Yeah, it feels amazing. I'm so privileged and grateful to have been given the opportunity to represent the Lionesses' 100 times, and I can only hope that I can squeeze in a few more." I laughed at this, trying to play it off as a joke, but deep down, I had a feeling it wasn't.
"How does it feel being at this World Cup, especially as it is your third?"
"You can never get used to the feeling of being at a major tournament like the World Cup. It is something indescribable. I am always so grateful and lucky to have been able to go to Canada and France, and I will be taking this opportunity as it comes."
"So, a fairly easy win over Thailand, how do you guys start to prepare for your next game in Australia against Switzerland?"
"Yeah, Switzerland is going to be a different challenge. They have been growing immensely over the past few years, and have some stellar players, and so we are really going to have to bring our best game if we want to put up a competitive fight."
"Well, congratulations Juliette on 100 caps and for the win today."
Later that evening, I was looking on instagram, and saw quite a few mentions, congratulating me on my 100th.
On Georgia's story, she posted a few pictures of me and her over the years. Some were funny selfies, and others were action shots in games.
Stanwaygeorgia: congratulations to this legend. 100 games for the best x
On Lucy's story, She uploaded a photo from the 2015 World Cup and from today. We both looked incredibly young in the 2015 World Cup photo, and were rocking outdated hairstyles.
Lucybronze: 100 caps for @ettiewalsh7 very proud of you lil sis x
On Leah's story, she uploaded a photo of me and her after an England match. We were smiling into the camera, her arm wrapped around my waist.
Leahwilliamsonn: so incredibly proud of you for 100 england caps. Can only wish for many more to come. Love you @ettiewalsh7
There were more messages from Rachel, Millie, Alex, Ella, Fran, Beth and the others. Sam also messaged me.
Sam: congratulations ettie on 100 matches! You're incredible. Hope to see you soon! Good luck
Ettie: thanks sam! Congrats on your win btw, four goals? You're the goat :)
As I typed this message, I had a notification. From hayley.
Hayley: hey ett, just wanted to say how proud I am of you. 100 matches is a lot and I'm so happy you're here and playing.
Ettie: wow, thanks hales. Means a lot. Good job on your win btw (and i saw you got a goal!)
Hayley: haha yes I did score, so surprising :) see you soon hopefully x
It was nice that Hayley and I were civil. I liked being able to message her, and joke with her. She was such a big part of my life and for so long that I could never ignore that. I'll always have a special place in my heart for her.
Keira had uploaded a photo to her instagram, after the match. It was of her and me laughing after the final whistle, and then the next was a serious one of us smiling at the camera. She also added a third slide, which was of her and me at her first cap. We were looking six years younger, and both incredibly happy that Keira had just debuted.
Keirawalsh: 100 caps? That's crazy. So proud of you and how far you've come, ett. Thank you for being the sister I always needed. Thank you for showing me that my goals are always achievable, and for helping me realise that we could reach them together. Always me and you ett x
Ettiewalsh7: OMG you're going to make me cry
Ettiewalsh7: i love you so much
Lucybronze: too cute
Leahwilliamsonn: omg you guys are such babies in last pic
The first match was good. It was good to win, it was good to get to 100 caps and it was good to score. But I was ready for more. We were ready to go to Australia, and win the whole damn thing.
note:
- ok, im sorry this is such a long chapter. literally a bit too long oops
- anyways, hope you guys liked it anyways, i just tried to fit a lot in tbh
- let me know your thoughts/questions/queries/predictions, i love reading them x