It’s been a month since England brought football home. Unfortunately, neither the men’s nor the women’s teams could do the same for Cambridge in their respective Varsity matches earlier this year. I spoke to the women’s Blues about their experience of the Euros, and what inspiration they can take into 2023.

Best goal

Erin Davies: Georgia Stanway vs Spain

Not only did Stanway’s quarter final, extra-time goal take England to the semi-finals, it was also a 25-yard screamer. Blues centre-forward Davies told me it was “not an obvious decision to shoot from there” given the form of England’s forward line, making it even more special.

Neve Mayes and Megan Clarke: Alessia Russo vs Sweden

Blues midfielders Mayes and Clarke were full of praise of Russo’s iconic backheel. Creative and cheeky, as women’s football president Mayes will want to see plenty of both from her team in the coming season.

Best player

Erin Davies: Keira Walsh and Leah Williamson

Davies focused on England’s defence, conceding only twice throughout the tournament. England’s defensive players were not only important at the back, but going forward too. Davies described both her picks as “top playmakers”, highlighting Walsh’s ability to pick out a pass straight out of a turn and Williamson’s “outstanding” positioning.

Neve Mayes: Beth Mead

Mayes admired Mead’s resilience to “bounce back and perform really well” at the Euros after being left out of the Tokyo Olympics Squad. Mead finished as top scorer, with six goals and five assists.

Megan Clarke: Keira Walsh

Clarke agrees with Davies that Walsh was “so, so important” for England, and under-appreciated due to her lack of flashiness in comparison to Mead, Toone and Russo. She got the appreciation she deserved in the final, winning the UEFA player of the match award.

Best moment

All: Chloe Kelly’s championship-winning goal

Mayes, who made it to a packed Wembley Stadium for the final, described how “the whole stadium erupted.” It wasn’t just the sheer ecstasy of watching a last-minute winner, but also the “amazing feeling [of seeing] so much support for the women’s game.” Mayes told me that she hopes this widespread support, with record TV and live audiences, will encourage more girls to get involved. This will provide a platform for the games’ long-term growth.

Pantomime villain

Erin Davies and Neve Mayes: Alexandra Popp

German striker Popp seemed a large threat to English hopes, having scored six goals on the way to the final. However, she suffered an injury in the warm-up for the last game of the tournament, and the nation breathed a sigh of relief.

What do the Blues hope to take into their own season from the Euros?

All three of the Blues I spoke to were keen to see participation in the women’s game increase, both inside and outside the university. Increasing support at Blues matches was a priority for Davies, as the team hopes to improve from last season’s poor attendances (sometimes only the groundsman and his dog). The team should be helped by the merging of the men and women’s blues social media accounts, which the club heralds as a step towards greater equality in university football.

They also hoped to bring the Lionesses’ attacking verve and winning mindset to the Blues. Davies wants the team to be “extra ruthless in attack” and utilise its playmakers and wealth of attacking options to score more goals this season. Mayes hopes the Blues can use England as inspiration as they seek to finish higher in their regional league and avenge last year’s heart-breaking defeat on penalties in the Varsity match. Hopefully this season will see highs that only Kelly’s winning goal can top.

Football is played at both university and college level. To register interest for the women’s Blues pre-season, you can use this link: www.shorturl.at/druHJ. You can follow the teams on Instagram @cuafc, or view their website at www.cuafc.org.