Mark Sampson likes to talk about the weapons contained in his armoury and Jodie Taylor ranks foremost among them. The Portland Thorns striker – the sole member of England’s squad domiciled abroad – underwent knee surgery eight weeks ago and has been nursed back to fitness in the hope of assuming a central role in the knockout phase.
Taylor, a forward that Norway will not be keen to see on the pitch here on Monday, made her World Cup debut as a late substitute in last Wednesday’s 2-1 win over Colombia and very nearly scored. “It was amazing,” she says. “I really enjoyed it. I might have got a goal when I went through just after I’d come on, but the keeper clipped me at the last minute.
“I had a bit of a setback after the surgery on my knee, so I’m just delighted I made it back in time. The staff at St George’s Park were great; they sped up my rehab and it was so reassuring that Mark still believed in me, and selected me for the squad.”
The injury struck out of the blue and at what appeared to be the worst possible time. Right up until the day England checked in at Heathrow for their transatlantic flight the 29-year-old was touch and go. “I got it in training, in Portland, on a Wednesday, but not through contact,” says Taylor.
“The knee just turned – I felt it go. Portland got me in, two days later, for the op, then the following weekend I flew home. From the start of May I was at St George’s Park pretty much the whole time before we flew out here for the World Cup.
“I was in full-time rehab for a couple of weeks before the team came into camp, and even when the players were there I was around them, but still doing my rehab. It was a relief I was able to fly to Canada with the squad. It could easily have gone the other way. But now training’s going really well, I’m getting sharper with every session. I’m definitely ready for matches.”
The Merseysider had been due to make her bow from the bench as a second-half substitute during last Saturday’s 2-1 win over Mexico, but her knee swelled up during a half-time warm up. “It was probably partly a reaction from the training I’ve been doing, taking on increasing loads,” she says. “I did the pre-match warm-up, then I was sitting down for a while and then went back out at half-time to warm up.
“It just didn’t feel right. The doctor took a look and, as desperate as I was to play, you’ve got to know your limits. Fortunately, we think the swelling was just a one off, but against Colombia I didn’t do the pre-match warm-up – I just started mine at half-time.”
Taylor’s increasing trust in her knee is mirrored by a staunch belief in England’s prospects and Sampson’s radical rotation policy. “We’ve grown into the tournament and Colombia was a big win for us,” says the striker, who has played in Australia and Sweden, as well as in the United States, where she has also served as an assistant coach.
“We’re getting better and better. We don’t want to peak too early, but we keep progressing and hitting the targets we’ve set. A lot of players have now got minutes, and that’s key in a tournament. In my opinion you can’t play the same 11 or 12 players in five or six matches – that won’t get you to the final.”
On the subject of England potentially dominating that denouement in Vancouver on 5 July, she is unequivocal. “100%, yes,” says Taylor. “I believe we can win the World Cup.”
