On the 15th March 2023, Bethany England saved Tottenham Hotspur from the likely prospect of relegation from the Women's Super League.
Under the cold, dark sky at Brisbane Road, the former Chelsea striker cut in from the left flank and fired an unstoppable shot into the top right corner.
It secured a 1-0 victory against Leicester City — and, if they had lost that match, the conversation we would have been having today might have been very different.
Fast forward 12 months, England is Tottenham's captain, guiding the club through a new era alongside manager Robert Vilahamn. She missed the first three months of the season through injury, yet her expertise, on and off the pitch, has been key.
During an interview with the media at Hotspur Way, England highlighted how Tottenham has gone through a change from top to bottom, emphasising a 'one-club' mentality that is so readily talked about.
"Roma wasn't built in a day," the 29-year-old stated, conning the iconic phrase to highlight Spurs' transition under Vilahamn as they prepare for a first FA Cup semi-final against Leicester City.
-
Implementing the Tottenham philosophy
Vilahamn was appointed as manager of Tottenham last summer, bringing in a new philosophy with bold ideas.
High-pressing, expansive and aggressive football is part of the Swede's ideas, epitomising the phrase 'To Dare Is To Do', which is etched onto the walls of Hotspur Way at every turn. It's been a drastic change for Spurs — and England has been at the heart of it.
“Last season, you can call it what it was, but we did enough to survive. This season we’ve recruited, a new manager’s come in and I think there’s a different expectation of Spurs now," she suggested.
"We started off really well and then had a bit of a blip at the start of this year, but we’re showing that we’re able to compete against the top teams. I still think there’s a gap but we’ve definitely narrowed that gap. There is a belief that we can achieve a lot more this year."
“I think Tottenham as a whole has gone through a change. You can see it with the men’s down to the women’s and I think that ethos resonated throughout and I think having that style of play has definitely helped this group of players in the way in which we approach games now.
"We can change and adapt in games now to suit different teams, whereas before, we didn’t really have a structure or a plan. That’s the biggest thing going forward."
But the project at Tottenham is always going to take time. Arsenal have taken years to build a fanbase and a world-class team. It's been the same story at local rivals Chelsea. Yet, in an ever-growing world that sees women's football in demand, the sky is the limit for the Lilywhites.
"Rome wasn’t built in a day," England simply said.
"We have to appreciate that Tottenham as a women’s club was a little bit behind getting into the WSL. They’ve made progress [to take] steps forward. Obviously, we’ve touched on that last season wasn’t the best but we did enough to stay afloat."
"We’ve definitely implemented enough things this season to be in the top half of the table, competing more in the trophies and pushing ourselves further up in the league. The quality we’re bringing in is growing every season. As long as we continue to push higher, who knows what’s going to happen?"
-
Recovering from a career-threatening injury
England missed the first three months of the project under Vilahamn due to a serious injury. Post World Cup, the former Chelsea striker underwent hip surgery to fix an underlying issue, which she stated in a previous interview, might have saved her career.
She made her return during Tottenham's 4-0 loss to Manchester United before captaining the side in the first half against Arsenal. England is yet to score a WSL goal this season, and the captain is still on the road to full confidence, but the team helped her in the process throughout.
“It’s never easy coming back from an injury, especially when it’s quite a big surgery as well. I just got my head down and got on with my job. I think we’ve got an amazing group," she told VAVEL.
"They’re great girls to work with. They’ve tried to get me up to speed as quickly as possible. Confidence-wise, you gain confidence through playing games, so I think that will come. But, as a whole, I’m happy with the way the team is performing and we can continue to push on from here."
Tottenham's state-of-the-art facilities at Hotspur Way are some of the best in the WSL. It will play a key part in their future, with the club planning for improvements — and, during rehabilitation, Spurs did everything to help according to England.
“The club did everything possible they could to get me back on the pitch as quickly as possible. It wasn’t a quick fix with the surgery that I had, so I knew I had to take every protocol seriously and do the right things. The club were fantastic in all the help they gave me to get me back on the pitch.”
-
'Experienced' England looking forward to FA Cup clash
On Tuesday, it was announced that Tottenham would face Leicester at home in the FA Cup semi-finals. They go into the match as favourites, knowing the possibility of playing at Wembley is closer to a reality than a dream.
Tottenham advanced into the final four after a dramatic win on penalties against Manchester City. England herself scored the crucial equaliser in the 96th minute, but - speaking to VAVEL - she chose to highlight other team members.
“I think I bring a lot of experience to this team [but], I’d like to highlight Becky Spencer, Amy James-Turner and Rosella Ayane for the performances they put out," England emphasised.
"Although I scored the ultimate equalising goal, I think without them, we wouldn’t have changed the game, so big credit to them. So many people have learnt to lead in this team, because, obviously, I’ve been out a while, so I’ve not been on the pitch to lead.
"I’ve had to learn different tactics to lead off the pitch, but the players that have been on the pitch have definitely stepped up and taken that role."
The history being created at the club is clear to England, who would love to play the semi-final at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium if the opportunity arose, but the Sheffield United prodigy is wary of complacency.
"It’s an amazing moment in the history of the club. We need to make sure we don’t get ahead of ourselves. We’ve not won anything yet. Everyone thinks it’s amazing we’ve drawn Leicester, but they’re going to be just as hungry for it as we are," the 29-year-old said.
"We need to make sure we stay grounded and don’t get too complacent. Everyone’s got it all to play for in this round, but - if we can get through that hurdle - then we can focus on the final. We’ve got a couple of players in this team with enough experience in those moments."