SYDNEY — Rachel Daly admitted she was disappointed to start England‘s World Cup campaign on the bench but will continue pushing her case and is ready to step up if given the chance.
England started their World Cup campaign with a 1-0 win over Haiti on Saturday in Brisbane thanks to Georgia Stanway‘s first-half penalty. It was a nervy occasion, with England reliant on Mary Earps making a superb late save to safeguard their three points.
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Daly, who was the WSL top scorer at Aston Villa, started on the bench with Arsenal‘s Alessia Russo preferred up front. And when asked if she was frustrated to begin among the replacements, Daly said: “I think anyone would be. No one is happy to sit on the bench. If you are, then you are not in the right place, not in the right career.
“It’s a tough place for Sarina [Wiegman] to be, to pick the team. I respect her decisions and I will support Alessia all the way and obviously I know Beth [England] will do the same.”
Daly got her chance off the bench in the 71st minute as she replaced Russo.
“I think movement is probably one of my strengths,” she added. “I just tried to come on and make a nuisance of myself for the defenders, stepping in off the back of Alessia’s big shift. She did brilliantly again, and I am just ready when I am called upon.”
