Beth Mead has predicted competition for places at Arsenal will be fierce next season when she returns from her ACL injury setback.
Mead, 28, was named UEFA Player of the Tournament as England stormed to Euros glory last summer but will miss the forthcoming World Cup as she is still working her way back towards full fitness. When the Arsenal forward does return for pre-season, she will be part of a new-look attack with Canadian Cloe Lacasse and Mead’s England teammate Alessia Russo having joined the Gunners this summer.
Russo was highly sought after across Europe, with the England striker allowing her contract at Man Utd to run down, but chose to join WSL rivals Arsenal. The new arrivals give manager Jonas Eidevall a wealth of attacking talent, with Mead and Viv Miedema returning from injury, alongside the likes of Caitlin Foord, Stina Blackstenius, Gio Queiroz and Lina Hurtig.
And Mead told Mirror Football that she can’t wait to link-up with the former United No.23, who is currently preparing for the World Cup with England on the sunshine coast.
“I’m really excited for Less to come and play with us,” said Mead. “I’ve had the pleasure of playing with her for England, but club level will be something else, I can’t wait to link-up.
“She brings a lot of different qualities in a striker that we want and I think she’ll fit into our team great. As a winger it’ll be nice to have her getting on the end of my crosses throughout the season.
“It just means there is now going to be lots of competition upfront. It is healthy but it is going to be tough. We’re all going to compete for our positions, Stina, me, Viv, our new signing Chloe Lacasse as well.
“We’ll have to fight for our place, but hopefully as a squad it only makes us more competitive and that is what we need really.
“We’ve got a little bit more depth now than we had in the past. So when it comes to injuries we should be able to deal with that better, rather than the season just gone where we were scraping through a little bit.”
Mead was one of those who had to sit out as Arsenal bravely battled on, in spite of a brutal injury crisis, with Eidevall’s side very nearly making the Champions League final and securing a top three finish whilst down to the bare bones.
Mead was originally hopeful of making a quick recovery to make the Lionesses squad travelling Down Under. But eventually manager Sarina Wiegman decided it was too soon after staying in contact with the forward throughout her recovery.
Although she will miss out on a second World Cup, Mead says the experience won’t be as painful as when she wasn’t selected for the Team GB Olympic squad back in 2021.
“I think the Olympic selection was different,” she added. “With that I struggled more with the reasoning around it.
“With the World Cup this time, it was taken out of my hands. It is not easier but it also is, particularly as Sarina was very open and honest throughout and kept in contact with me about the situation regularly.
“Although I would love to be at the World Cup, I will still be rooting for the girls. I have had the pleasure of playing in one before and it is an incredible competition to be a part of.
“I guess in a sense I won’t feel as bitter watching as I did with the Olympic stuff. I can’t wait to support the girls and it should be a great tournament that’s really competitive.”
And although the Lionesses will have to try and win a first World Cup without her, Mead is closing in on a return to action, giving a positive update ahead of pre-season.
“It’s going really well now,” said Mead. “It’s several months in and I’m over the hardest bits now.
“I’m pretty much fully training. I’ve not got as many teammates to train with unfortunately because they have all left me for a little thing called the World Cup!
“But it is going ok and I’m really excited for the season and to get going again. It will be a long one but it is just what you have to do to get back from this kind of injury.”
Mead was speaking as a McDonald's ambassador as she unveiled the first ever women’s football ‘Big Head' figurines at the National Football Museum, to celebrate the start of the FIFA Women's World Cup.
Mead said: "It’s incredible to see a mini me in the National Football Museum. It is truly amazing to be the first ever women’s player to have their own ‘Big Head’. It feels really special, for this figurine to be joining football memorabilia through the ages and hopefully this is just the start of seeing more football collectables from the Women’s game. I can’t wait to get my figurine into the hands of fans across the country in time for the world cup."
Over the course of the FIFA Women’s World Cup™ 2023 McDonald’s will be giving out 10,000 Beth Mead Figurines to fans across the nation. To get your hands on your very own Beth Mead ‘Big Head’ follow @McDonaldsUK on Twitter, Instagram or Tik Tok.
