Katie Sherwood urges on 'fearless' Wales ahead of clash with England
Rhian Wilkinson's squad will face the EURO 2022 victors in their final Group D game in St Gallen on Sunday evening, standing on the brink of elimination after losses to France and the Netherlands.
Sherwood, who earned 50 Wales caps as a player, is well aware of the challenge her nation face but believes their attitude will be key if they are to upset their illustrious neighbours.
"I think they just got to go into the game with no fear," she said.
"We know the pedigree that England have, but we have a lot of pride, a lot of passion and a lot of belief.
"We've been building consistent performances but we know that England are deadly in attack, so this is about staying in the game.
"It is the final game of the Euros, we're going to need a miracle to stay in and we know we're up against real dangerous opposition.
"I want them to show that pride and passion that we know a Welsh team can."
The 2025 event marks Wales' first-ever major women's football tournament, having beaten the Republic of Ireland in a play-off match to secure a spot back in December 2024.
It has therefore been a competition full of landmarks for the side, with Jess Fishlock scoring Cymru's first goal to equalise early on against France and become the oldest ever goal scorer at a Women's Euros.
And she has not been the only standout player wearing red.
"I think someone who's really emerged in this tournament is Angharad James," Sherwood said.
"She is the heartbeat of this team, and she's only become captain within the last 12 months.
"She is a great person and a fantastic player, and hopefully she will be leading this team out in more major tournaments to come."
Sherwood was speaking at the Coronation Street Big Football Day, Powered by The National Lottery, in Trafford where she was with Jill Scott, who received Lottery funding as part of the TASS, which helped her on her journey to becoming a Euros winning Lioness.
The celebration event brought together 48 young girls from England and Wales to mark both nations' participation at Euro 2025, reflecting on The National Lottery's long-standing support for women's football development across the UK.
Inspiring the next generation at our Chwarae For Her watch parties 🫶🏴
Find an event 👉 https://t.co/iNaPSUMBDV pic.twitter.com/1dr1gdlxKG — Wales 🏴 (@Cymru) July 11, 2025
Hosted on the iconic Corrie Cobbles, Sherwood was joined by Scott, and several members of the Coronation Street cast to celebrate tomorrow's game.
The National Lottery have invested £6bn into grassroots sport over the last 30 years, changing the game for women's and girls' sport.
Sherwood feels it the clash is a perfect occasion for young girls to see the possibilities within sport.
"It was inevitable they were going to be drawn in the same group," she said.
"It creates a buzz for young girls at home watching the game so they can see what they can be.
"The funding from The National Lottery gives girls opportunities to have an experience in football and then nurture players and showcase their talent while seeing their role models on screen and really aspire to be playing for England or Wales one day."
It is vital input that Sherwood has seen work first-hand during and after her career on the pitch.
"I was lucky enough to be in Dublin the night that Wales secured their qualification, and was flooded with emotions," she added.
"We haven't always had the resources that we should have had in Wales so it's a breakthrough that we've been waiting for such a long time.
"To finally qualify, you think about all the sacrifices that you made as a player and those in previous generations.
"For this generation, now they have this investment and they have the funding, they can go that extra mile. You can see the benefit that it's had."
The FA's Big Football Day, powered by The National Lottery, is a celebration inviting women and girls to discover the joy, confidence and community of football. Thanks to over £6 billion invested into grassroots sport by National Lottery players, the game is growing stronger from the ground up. For more info visit: //englandfootball.com/bigfootballday
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