by Beth England was desperate to prove herself at the World Cup last summer. Manager Sarina Wiegman deployed her as a substitute during the tournament, but every time she went on the field, she was putting her career at risk.
The Tottenham Hotspur striker was managing what she thought was a minor hip problem as she approached the women’s football showpiece event in Australia. But it was only when she returned home – after being in the Lionesses’ 1-0 win against Spain in the final – that she was surprised by a “shock” diagnosis.
“My hip bone wasn’t in the socket, it was sitting on the side and sliding, so it wasn’t set in place,” says England, opening up about her ordeal for the first time to Telegraph Sport. “I took a load of fluid around there – you could barely see the tendon. The surgeon told me if it had been torn any more, my career would have been over.”
England had a serious case of hip dysplasia, where the hip socket does not completely cover the ball part of the upper wing bone. The damage was so serious that she suffered a labral tear, when the cartilage lining the hip joint begins to wear.
In Australia, where she has featured in five of the Lionesses’ seven matches – and scored a penalty in the penalty shootout against Nigeria in a tight 16-year-old match – she has managed to navigate the issue through hurdles daily of taking pain killers.
Since she still had full range of motion through her hips, she decided a scan wasn’t that urgent, and was very aware that her World Cup dream would be over if something showed up. Ignorance, in England’s case, was bliss.
“I can honestly say, hand on heart, that some of the best football I’ve ever played was when I was at that camp,” says England. “I think Sarina would agree. I was in good form, fit, I could get out of playing well for Spurs. At the time, I was not even entertaining the idea that it was anything so serious. I was ready to come back and hit the ground running.”
A week after her diagnosis, England went under the knife to save her career, which meant she would miss the start of the new Women’s Super League season.
A passionate owner of two golden retrievers – Buddy and Dillys – in England was distraught at not being able to walk her dogs. “I was the funniest, cutest little cow,” she says. “I had days when I was down. Some days I want to cry. I was frustrated, but the surgeon did a great job and the medical team at Spurs were with me all the way.”
England is no stranger to controversy. Before her reported £250,000 move to Spurs at the start of the year – a record between two English clubs in the Women’s Super League – her career for club and country turned into a struggle for consistent minutes.
At Chelsea, Sam Kerr and Lauren James, a promising English striker, finally put her in front. She was a main bencher for the Lionesses during the Euros, where the team’s euphoria at Wembley was tempered by the emptiness she felt without playing a single minute of the campaign.
“The Euros, apart from my hip surgery, was one of the hardest parts of my career,” says England. “Everyone sees you winning and it’s great, but inside, it took me a long time to realize that I deserved the medal as well as the other girls. In my head, the way I see myself helping a team is being on the field. But I never did that, I was helping the starters every day in training.
“It was my partner’s father who sat me down and was talking to me and said, ‘There are only 23 people in the world who have that medal and you are one of them.’ You can be so consistent on game time but there is a much bigger picture as to why we won that tournament. It changed my attitude. Yes, the manager didn’t put me down for a lack of effort or lack of effort, that’s the way the cards were dealt.”
The behind-the-scenes role galvanized the Englishman, who went on to become a leading light for Spurs after signing for London club Chelsea in January – scoring 13 goals in 14 games – playing a key role in saving the club from relegation.
After settling in effortlessly at Spurs, she was handed the Spurs captaincy by the club’s new manager, Robert Villahamn, despite her back injury. “I had no idea it was happening,” she says. “One of the first things I said to him was, ‘Are you sure?’ I probably didn’t believe it. But when you’re offered that opportunity you can’t refuse.”
The role gave her renewed purpose, even if it involved managing some logistics. “I made sure my schedule was aligned with the teams schedule, so it was easier,” England says. “I could be in every team meeting. It wasn’t like I was there with the group.”
Having bounced back in her side’s 4-0 win over Manchester United last weekend, the Englishman’s return is timely, with Spurs hosting Arsenal at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday.
Spurs, who haven’t won in the league since October, have been riding a storm of late but England are hopeful. “This group is special,” she says. “I hope the team has the faith and confidence in themselves as I know.” For Spurs’ grounded woman, the biggest silver lining would be heading outside in the North London Derby after such an emotionally charged period off the pitch.
