'clicking' Celebrations & Group Chats - How England Are Bonding

WhatsApp group chats, a caller 'clicking' ceremony and 'a time successful nan life' of Beth Mead - England are doing each they tin to enslaved arsenic a squad disconnected nan pitch.

Having booked their spot successful nan quarter-finals, nan defending champions are gearing up for Thursday's lucifer against Sweden (20:00 BST).

The Lionesses overcame a heavyweight group stage, suffering conclusion by France but bouncing backmost to grounds emphatic victories complete nan Netherlands and Wales.

It was nary astonishment then, to spot skipper Leah Williamson relaxed successful beforehand of nan media connected Tuesday, while guardant Chloe Kelly said glowingly astir nan squad's "finishers".

With Sweden up next, tin England support their momentum pinch nan thief of immoderate nosy distractions disconnected nan pitch?

England enjoyed themselves successful their 6-1 triumph complete Wales connected Sunday arsenic six players sewage their names connected nan scoresheet.

Among them were substitutes Mead and Aggie Beever-Jones and their celebrations caught nan oculus arsenic they ran complete to nan bench, ran on nan substitutes who were lined up connected nan touchline and clicked their fingers successful nan air.

Keira Walsh, who started successful midfield and won nan subordinate of nan lucifer award, was near successful nan acheronian arsenic to what it meant - but guardant Kelly later had an explanation.

"We person a small group of america successful a [WhatsApp] group chat - 'the finishers' arsenic you telephone it - and [they were] 'positive clicks'," said nan Arsenal winger.

"You astir apt saw we were each clicking, reasoning 'what are they doing?' But it was conscionable a affirmative click. We said: 'If 1 of america comes connected and scores, let's do that'.

"It's conscionable astir sticking together and being astatine our champion erstwhile called upon, making judge we're prepared to spell connected nan transportation to do a awesome job."

Kelly said Walsh would beryllium "kept successful nan loop" from now on, but nan group chat was created by Manchester United skipper Maya le Tissier for nan substitutes.

England's super-subs made a large effect astatine Euro 2022 - Kelly scored nan victor successful nan last against Germany, aft Ella Toone had lobbed goalkeeper Merle Frohms successful nan aforesaid match. Alessia Russo produced a memorable backheel decorativeness successful nan semi-final triumph complete Sweden.

"Some of america didn't person nan pictures of nan click ceremony truthful that's wherever nan group chat came from - to nonstop each different nan pictures," added Kelly.

"I was saying to Lotte [Wubben-Moy] that passim nan tournaments that we've been playing in, nan group of 'finishers' person been incredible."

It is not nan only WhatsApp group chat connected nan go, arsenic Lucy Bronze revealed past week they still usage nan 1 they had astatine Euro 2022.

Recently retired goalkeeper Mary Earps has been among those to connection nan squad successful Switzerland, arsenic good arsenic erstwhile striker Ellen White.

"It's conscionable mostly 'good luck', 'well done' aliases 'we judge successful you'," said Williamson erstwhile asked astir nan messages.

"For them to reenforce their belief successful nan squad and want to beryllium portion of it, that speaks volumes of nan group.

"That group chat was primitively created for nan [Euro 2022] celebrations, truthful each clip it pops up, it's not a bad thing.

"Most group chats we archive aliases shut up - but not that one. We're very tame though. I wish we had much banter - but that's not going to travel from me."

The banter was location from Williamson this week, however, arsenic she joked pinch nan media successful nan build-up to England's quarter-final necktie pinch Sweden, dismissing suggestions that ABBA were amended than The Beatles, and stressing that cipher wanted to "kill each different yet" aft respective weeks together successful camp.

Regularly catching up pinch erstwhile team-mate Jill Scott, who is retired successful Switzerland moving arsenic a BBC pundit, is 1 of nan galore things Williamson has done to move disconnected from shot during nan tournament.

"We were begging for personification to employment her astatine nan FA [Football Association] erstwhile she near conscionable to bring her along," Williamson joked.

Having spent astir of Euro 2022 sleeping successful betwixt games, nan centre-back has besides tried to beryllium much sociable this clip around.

She missed retired connected nan 2023 Women's World Cup, wherever England reached nan final, because of an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury, truthful does not want to fto her acquisition successful Switzerland walk her by.

But taking portion successful a 'day successful nan life' of Arsenal team-mate Mead was a measurement excessively acold for Williamson.

"Keira [Walsh] ever says I prime up a caller hobby each tourney and ne'er travel done pinch it," said Williamson.

"Beth Mead was laughing astatine maine nan different time because I did nan 'day successful nan life' of her which meant I didn't spell backmost to my room and I was very sociable.

"By nan extremity of nan day, I slept good. I said to her: 'I don't cognize really you do this each day'. It's crazy to maine - I'm not that type of person."