Nadine Kessler was in buoyant mood as she discussed the exciting possibilities of UEFA Euro 2021. 

The former German international was talking to the press at Wembley, earlier in the week, where it was revealed that Old Trafford would host England's first game of the tournament. 

Huge progression

Kessler admits the progress of on-field action over the past few years has been remarkable. "It's been so, so huge, those changes, in my opinion," she told Sue Campbell, the FA's director of women's football. 

"I think you need to differentiate first from a sporting perspective. The progress we've seen in the professional game is just huge."

"Particularly in recent years, the World Cup was the best example. If we have seven or eight quarter finalists that are European then you can be quite proud. This is also a telling factor of how far we've progressed sportingly. It's just difficult to put it in words." 

Equally, she notes that the efforts of exterior supporters. "The interest in general, the investment, the engagement of all stakeholders, at the same time.

"If we go back to my playing days, I felt like, let's be honest, my federation did a lot of good things for us. We had decent conditions in Germany.

"But still, the engagement that we see these days across Europe of various stakeholders are, at the moment, really putting effort in at the same time. I think that is so so important for the women's game." Still, she wants to push on from these foundations, as opposed to simply sitting back and waxing lyrically. 

Inspiration

The 31-year-old was bold in her hopes for the tournament, citing a desire for it to help forward the momentous movement in this game. She hopes that people who become engrossed in the event will join their movement. 

"We want to establish a record-breaking tournament with you. Yes for attendance. Yes for viewership. Yes in terms of what numbers we break. Great.

"But we also want to deliver a tournament that will inspire more boys and girls to play football."

Dreams

The Old Trafford announcement is one that brings with it a lot of excitement. It gives gravitas to the event and it was something that thrilled manager Phil Neville, as reported by VAVEL. 

"[The spectators] will memorise it truly as a tournament that was inspiring," she hopes. 

"And they will continue to join us on the road of supporting and developing women's football. It's the greatest sporting event. It's a major international tournament for us. But it's also more than that."

It seems clear that UEFA want to appeal to both sides of the spectrum: the elite clubs and the grassroots. Kessler was very eager to portray that with her message, trying to reach the masses and illustrate her organisation as one that is not detached from the common fan. 

There is a lot of expectancy on this event and many people believe that it can be fulfilled. The world will, most certainly, be watching.