Keira Walsh highlights what is ‘special’ about England and speaks about threat of Aitana Bonmati ahead of Euro 2025 final | OneFootball

England midfielder Keira Walsh shared her thoughts ahead of the UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 final, where the Lionesses will face Spain in Basel on Sunday evening.

It’s been a rollercoaster journey for England at this tournament. After losing their opening match to France, the team responded with dominant wins over the Netherlands and Wales to top Group D.

In the quarter-finals, they staged a dramatic comeback from two goals down against Sweden and went on to win in a tense penalty shootout.

The semi-final against Italy brought more drama, as England again came from behind, eventually sealing victory in extra time.

Reflecting on the path to the final, Walsh admitted the hard-fought nature of their campaign has made the team stronger.

Keira Walsh praises England for ‘not knowing when to give up’

England midfielder Keira Walsh has praised her England teammates for their resiliency during Women’s Euro 2025, ahead of their final against Spain.

“The way we did it, it brings the team closer together. We just don’t know when to give up,” she said.

“We come into every tournament wanting to reach the final. Maybe the way we’ve done it is a bit more stressful for everyone, but that is the beauty of this team, that we are relentless and we’ve got belief in ourselves that even in the 90th minute, we can get a goal and we can win. I think that’s what is really special about us.”

Walsh also highlighted what she sees as a distinctly English quality in their approach.

“Honestly, I think it’s a part of being English. That’s what we feel when we put the shirt on – it’s that we give everything, we run ourselves into the ground.

“The beauty of this squad is that we know that if we have to come off because we’re tired, there’s going to be someone else who’s going to come on and finish the job.

“That’s kind of just what we speak about as a team is that English resilience and it’s something that we really pride ourselves on and you can see that in the last two games that that’s something we really believe in.”

England keen to overcome World Cup disappointment in Euro 2025 final

England and Spain have formed one of the sport’s most compelling rivalries in recent years. The Lionesses triumphed over Spain in extra time during the Euro 2022 quarter-finals, while Spain claimed a narrow win in the 2023 World Cup final.

“That was a massive disappointment. As a collective, we feel like we didn’t have our best performance that day,” Walsh said, reflecting on the loss in Sydney.

“But I think as a football player you can become too emotional, if you are trying to pull on that too much, there are too many things going on. For us, it’s a new game, a new team, we know what we bring in this tournament, so we are going to keep doing that and just focus on the positives and not try to draw on that too much.”

Despite the competitive edge, Walsh was quick to express admiration for their opponents.

“There is a lot of respect between both teams. I think the most important thing is that, for them, they can enjoy this final, that there is not the controversy surrounding it. The girls deserve to be there, they play incredible football. So first and foremost, for them as human beings is that they can just go out and enjoy this game.”

Keira Walsh on threat of Aitana Bonmati

Among Spain’s threats is two-time Ballon d’Or winner Aitana Bonmatí, who scored the decisive goal in their semi-final.

Walsh, who knows Bonmatí well, acknowledged her quality but was clear that England would not focus solely on one player.

“She’s an incredible player, but I think if you try to nullify her, I think Patri [Guijarro]’s been one of the best players at this tournament.

“You can focus on Aitana and then you’ve got Patri, and then you’ve got Alexia [Putellas] and Mariona [Caldentey], so I think for us we’re not focusing on one player. We know what we can bring defensively and so we’re just focusing on what we can do and then obviously we’re going to have some chances as well that we need to take.”

As Sunday approaches, the stage is set for another intense chapter in this growing rivalry. England’s belief, grit, and experience will be tested against Spain’s artistry and control. According to Walsh, they wouldn’t have it any other way.

What are England’s chances of winning Euro 2025 final?

The UK’s top betting websites have priced the Lionesses as slight underdogs going into their clash with Spain.

Spain are 1/3 favourites to lift the trophy while England are priced at 2/1 to defend the trophy they won in 2022.