‘She said we’ve aged her’ – Ella Toone hails ‘unbelievable manager’ Sarina Wiegman ahead of Euros final | OneFootball

Ella Toone joked that England’s knack for leaving it late has “almost killed” Sarina Wiegman twice as the Lionesses prepare for the final hurdle of their Euros defence.

England will face Spain in the Euros final, a repeat of the World Cup showdown two years ago, after La Roja struck late in extra time against Germany to book their place in Basel.

The Lionesses, meanwhile, have twice come from behind to beat Sweden on penalties and Italy in extra-time to reach the final.

“I think we’ve nearly killed her twice this tournament. She said we’ve definitely aged her,” the Manchester United midfielder said.

“But, I think that’s five consecutive tournaments for Sarina being in a final and that’s just unbelievable.

“We know we’re in good hands. We know she’s a manager who can take teams right to the final. She’s done a few good speeches, to be fair, in this camp. I’ll give it to her. We’ve been talking about it. She’s a great manager.

“She’s someone who we all have a lot of belief in. We know we’re in good hands. When we go out onto the pitch, we fight for each other, but we fight for her and the staff too and all the fans watching as well.”

The 25-year-old has played in all five of the Lionesses’ matches, scoring twice and providing two assists, as the Lionesses chase back-to-back Euros titles for the first time in their history.

Reflecting on reaching the final, Toone said: “It’s mad. I’ve not actually thought about that. It’s amazing.

“To make three consecutive finals for England is something that we can all be so proud of, the country can be proud of. It feels amazing. We’re all really looking forward to it already.

“As soon as one game finishes, we’re already looking to the next. For me, I’m really excited. I want to go out onto the pitch and give everything for England and for the team and for the fans watching. Hopefully, we can put on a good performance.”

Sunday’s final will be Toone’s 65th appearance for England, should she feature, capping a rise that began with her senior debut at 21.

“Every time I get to pull the shirt on, it’s just pride,” she said. “It’s something that I dreamed of when I was a little girl, to play for England and to go to major tournaments representing a new country,” she said.

“I still pinch myself now. I think I’m 50-odd caps in, and it’s still an amazing feeling just like the first one was.

“When you pull the shirt on, you want to go out there and make everyone proud. You want to fight for each other, for the fans.

“I think as well when you pull that shirt on, you have that sense of freedom and belief. That’s definitely the feeling that I get when I pull it on. It never changes.”