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Fit-again Beth Mead says after \u201ca lot of tough days\u201d over the past year she has been \u201csmiling like a Cheshire cat\u201d following her return to the England squad.<\/p>\n
Mead \u2013 top scorer and player of the tournament when England won Euro 2022 \u2013 sustained anterior cruciate ligament damage 12 months ago that saw her sit out the rest of last season and the subsequent World Cup in which the Lionesses finished as runners-up.<\/p>\n
The winger has been back in action for Arsenal in recent weeks, scoring twice in Sunday\u2019s 3-0 win against West Ham, and received an international recall for the forthcoming Nations League matches against the Netherlands and Scotland.<\/p>\n
She told a press conference: \u201cI\u2019ve been smiling like a Cheshire cat since I got here.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been a year since I was here. I\u2019ve worked hard, I\u2019ve had a lot of tough days and I\u2019m just super proud of myself, being able to get back into the fold and hopefully help the team at some point.<\/p>\n
\u201c(The World Cup) was a tough watch. I wanted to be there and kick and tackle and do every ball with them.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut those bad days feel so much better now I\u2019m here and back on the pitch and doing what I love again. I\u2019m very proud of what I\u2019ve overcome in that time.<\/p>\n
\u201cEach game I\u2019ve been playing I\u2019ve been feeling more confident, more like myself again.\u201d<\/p>\n
On England\u2019s run at the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, Mead added: \u201cMe and Leah (Williamson, the Arsenal defender and England captain who has also been sidelined by an ACL injury) were sat watching games and we were still very emotionally and physically connected.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was devastated for them when we fell short in the final. Me and Leah struggled because we just want to help the team and we got that taken away from us by not a nice injury. But I was so proud watching them in that tournament.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mead returns with England in danger of missing out on top place in Nations League Group 1A \u2013 a spot they need to have a chance of obtaining qualification for next summer\u2019s Paris Olympics for Great Britain.<\/p>\n
Currently third and requiring results beyond their own to go their way, Sarina Wiegman\u2019s side face leaders the Netherlands on Friday at Wembley then bottom-placed Scotland at Hampden Park four days later.<\/p>\n
Mead is in a relationship with Arsenal team-mate and Netherlands forward Vivianne Miedema, yet another player who recently returned from an ACL injury.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve seen the good and bad days from each other and we\u2019ve been there to get each other to this point,\u201d Mead said. \u201cSo it\u2019s really nice we can both hopefully get the chance to get on the pitch at the same time at some point.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mead\u2019s mother June died from ovarian cancer in January this year, and the 28-year-old added: \u201cI think last time I got a chance to play there (at Wembley), my mum was still here.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s difficult for me to think about sometimes, but it also makes me very proud to try and make her proud as well. Fingers crossed I can get on the pitch and make her proud again.\u201d<\/p>\n