“I’m proud,” says Leah Williamson, the most successful England captain of all time | OneFootball

England are two-time UEFA Women’s Euro champions. Having lifted the trophy for the first time on home soil in 2022, the Lionesses saw off Spain in Basel on Sunday to retain their European crown – and with Leah Williamson donning the armband during both tournaments, she is now the only England captain to lift two major trophies, and the first to lift one on foreign soil.

“When the game started today, the first half took a lot of defensive actions and they went our way and we were in the right place at the right time,” she explained to the media post-match, “and I did get a feeling from the Champions League final. I thought this is our day today – so to do that, what a year. And if I reflect, I can’t think about it too much or I’ll cry. If I reflect on the last couple years since that last win, I’m proud, that’s what I’ll take away for myself, I’m proud.”

Jess Carter featured alongside Williamson at the heart of the England defence against Spain. It’s been a difficult tournament for Carter, who was subjected to abhorrent racial abuse online following the Lionesses‘ quarter-final win against Sweden – but Williamson said: “I think she knows that we’ve got her back. People love playing beside Jess because they know that she has their back, too.”

“She’s a no nonsense defender, I’ve called her that before, and she just gets shit done and that’s what she did today. Playing alongside Jess, it gives me a lot of comfort because I know when I look in her eyes, I know that she’s got me and I’ve got her and the whole team had her.”

Williamson appeared a little worse for wear in the mixed zone after England’s celebrations, though she urged reporters not to worry. “Don’t worry about if I’m having a good time, let’s put it that way! I’m going to leave the ice and recovery for tomorrow and then take it back to England.”

“I have got a fat lip. I had to check my tooth wasn’t wobbly. I’ll carry my battle scars all the way back to London and we take the trophy home and celebrate for our people.”

England will lift the trophy in London on Tuesday, with a lunchtime parade of The Mall scheduled. Asked if she was aware how big a second consecutive European trophy could be for herself and the nation, Williamson revealed “my cousin texted me before the game and she said how lucky that these finals sort of become the norm, in terms of how it feels and how lucky we are to be a part of something like that. I share that sentiment.”

“It’s so hard to get to a final and the success off the pitch is normally already done, but to then win, you just take it to another level. I don’t know what the effect will be, but looking forward to seeing it.”

“I think we dedicate this win to everybody that’s involved. The staff don’t get the credit. They work hard for us, our teammates, everybody pulls through. And then I think the whole nation, the people that stayed with us, we didn’t have an easy start to the tournament. I think we played five finals since that game [France loss] and today was the one that brought the trophy home so I’m going to go and celebrate.”