Bethany England: “This group is special… there’s plenty more to come” | OneFootball

A leader on and off the pitch, Bethany England was quick to outline this is only the beginning for the Club after our historic run in the Adobe Women’s FA Cup ended in defeat in the final.

“I can't emphasise enough how proud I am of the girls,” our captain said after our 4-0 loss against Manchester United at Wembley Stadium.

It has been a journey to be proud of, competing in our first-ever major final, and we put in a hard-fought performance in the first, but a wonder strike from Ella Toone gave United the lead on the stroke of half time.

Then, two goals in three minutes in the second half, with Rachel Williams and Lucia Garcia finding the back of the net, gave Marc Skinner’s side a healthy advantage before Garcia rounded off the scoring in the final 15 minutes of the game.

“We are obviously disappointed, a lot of tears but, for me, we are in the same position as Manchester United were last season, they had this heartache and they have managed to fight their way back and win it,” Bethany told The Review Show after the game.

“This group is special, there’s plenty more to come, it’s our first time coming here and people will learn from it, take the experience and we will go again.”

Asked about the journey the Club has been on since she joined, Bethany added: “It has been a crazy 12 months for me, we have gone from a relegation battle to a FA Cup final, and that just doesn’t happen overnight.

“It takes a lot of work in the background, all the recruitment, the different personnel in staff, style of play and more belief in ourselves. We have got the ability, but we just need to make sure we produce it on the pitch, unfortunately, today we fell short.

“I couldn't be prouder of this team and, again, to lead this team out at Wembley in front of 76,000 is a moment I will take forever.”

Watch - Captain England eyes growth from cup final heartbreak