In 2019, as they headed off to the FIFA Women's World Cup, England's Lionesses were taking nothing for granted. They were aware of the importance of putting in the hard graft ahead of their matches.
In a BBC Bitesize interview, we caught up with the team at their training ground before they headed off to the tournament in France. Here's their top tips for succeeding in the professional game.
There are going to be ups and downs, but stick with it, and make sure you come back stronger.
– Nikita Parris, England forward
Steph Houghton: I think first and foremost is just to work as hard as you possibly can with whatever task you’ve been given. I think practice is better than anything and also your coaches – you’ve got to listen to them. I think they’re the ones that have been there, done that and have got the experience so if you can listen and then apply it to your game then you’re giving yourself half a chance.
Nikita Parris: I would say just enjoy every moment first of all because you spend a lot of time doing the sport that you love, and ultimately put in the hard work. There’s gonna be ups and downs and everyone goes through it, you wouldn’t be the only one but you’ve got to stick with it and make sure that you come back stronger.
Lucy Bronze: You’ve got to work hard. You can be as talented as you want and have all those lovely things but if you don’t work hard you’re not going to get anywhere. You need to work hard to improve every day, to be better than the person next to you, to be better than the other team, to keep improving and improving. I think for me that’s always been a big thing is to work hard.
Karen Carney: Just to have fun because when you have fun you just train more, you work harder and it’s not a chore, you’re just having fun so when you’re enjoying yourself you always play your best football.
Fran Kirby: I think just hard work, make sure that you give everything 110% every single day. All the girls here have worked so hard throughout their careers and you know, never give up even if it’s something that you need to take a step away from but you love it so much just make sure that you keep yourself going and do whatever makes you happy.
So, there you have it. Hard work is the order of the day – there are no shortcuts. As former England defender Lucy Bronze put it, talent will only take you so far. You have to work hard to stand out from the crowd.
And, as Steph Houghton, former captain of the Lionesses and England defender said, it's crucial to practise regularly and learn from your coaches' experience.
Listen to your coaches – they are the ones that have been there and done that… then apply it to your game.
England forward, Nikita Parris, had a more 'live in the moment' approach and advises to enjoy every minute of it. After all, as former England midfielder Karen Carney pointed out, you do your best when you're enjoying what you do.
If you're having fun, it's not a chore and you can play your best football.
England midfielder
Remember that success doesn't come easily. Nikita Parris warned that there will be ups and downs but everyone goes through them, so it's important to remember you are not alone. The key is to come back from the difficult times and keep fighting.
Five top tips from the Lionesses
This advice will help whatever you want to do - in sports, in other careers or in any aspect of your life.
Work hard
Remember you're doing something you love, so enjoy it! It will make it seem less like hard work
Listen to your mentors. They have seen it all before and are there to support you
There will be ups and downs – just keep coming back up fighting
Never give up!
This article was published in 2019 and updated in June 2026.
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