Lioness Ella Toone has said she is “feeling better and stronger than ever” on her return to the England squad, which she only learned about moments before she received an MBE from the Prince of Wales.
The Manchester United midfielder is back in the England squad for the first time since November after recovering from a stress fracture to her hip which ruined the second half of her season.
Speaking to the Press Association immediately after she was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to football at Windsor Castle on Tuesday, the 26-year-old said: “We were sitting in the waiting room before going in and we quickly checked [and found out].
“Prince William asked if I was back fit and whether I’m on the next camp, so it was nice to be able to tell him there. I am doing well and I’ve come back feeling better and stronger than ever.”
The midfielder, who is a double women’s European Championship winner, added: “It is so exciting. There is so much talent in the England squad now, with so many experienced players, players who’ve been to tournaments before, and loads of young, exciting talent coming through as well.
“I am obviously really looking forward to it, and hopefully I can go out there and represent England again.”
The Lionesses, who have won all four of their qualifiers so far, travel to Majorca for a crunch clash with the current world champions on June 5, knowing a draw would be enough to seal their place at the tournament in Brazil.
Toone spoke about how important it is for the squad to act as role models, and cited it as a reason she set up the ET7 Academy, a football coaching academy for girls aged eight to 19 to develop their skills.
She said: “I set up ET7 Academy to give girls a chance and an opportunity to play football, to make friends, to develop as people and players.
“I hope that one day we can have another Ella Toone, who maybe comes from Tyldesley, where I grew up.
“As Lionesses, we are role models, we have got to use our platforms as best we can to really grow the women’s game and to give all young girls and boys opportunities in football.”
Celebrating in Windsor with her fiance Joe Bunney, Toone said their wedding is planned for this summer in Cheshire.
England rugby flanker Sadia Kabeya was also awarded with an MBE at the ceremony, being honoured for services to rugby union.
The 24-year-old was in the England squad as they clinched a fifth successive Grand Slam with a triumph over France in Bordeaux on Sunday, but Kabeya was forced to cut her celebrations short to study for an exam.
The Lewisham-born rugby player is studying a sports science degree at Loughborough University and was revising between training sessions throughout the Six Nations.
She said: “To celebrate the win in France, we had a family and friends function with food, drinks and dancing, but I actually had an exam yesterday in Loughborough so I couldn’t stay out very late, which is definitely not like me, but I had to put my studies first.
“It’s definitely hard to balance it all, but a lot of the girls have done it before me, so it’s nice to have that guidance and help from them as well.
“But the rest of the girls had a great time celebrating. It was nice to be together as a team with friends and family and the coaches.”
When asked how the exam went, she said: “I think it went as well as it could have, knowing the circumstances. I was revising between training sessions, so fingers crossed.”
The flanker also advocated for rugby to be an option at more schools across the country.
Kabeya said: “I always say that rugby is a sport for all, everyone can play if they want to; whether you’re fast, whether you’re strong, whether you want to just make friends and be social, there’s always a place for you in rugby.
“It’s so important that everyone has the choice to pick it up, and that starts in schools. It is the easiest place to do it. Kids go to school, do PE, pick up the ball, and start from there.
“That’s how I came into the sport, and I wouldn’t have known that it was there unless my school had it there for me.
“I think in the future, maybe once my career has come down a bit more, I would be keen to set up a foundation, especially in south London in schools where there might not be grass or pitches for you to be able to go pick up a ball, and to spread rugby around in those areas.”
