20 Questions with Beth Mead

1) What’s your earliest memory?

It would be when I was six years old and the first time I went to a football session. It was in my local village in Hinderwell and my Mum took me to get rid of a load of energy. It was all boys there and when my Mum asked if it was alright for me to get involved, the coach said: ‘Of course she is but the boys are a little bit rough. Will she be alright?’ When my Mum returned an hour later, the guy was like: ’Beth was rougher than the boys and she is a good footballer’. He told me to go further afield towards Middlesbrough, which was a 45-minute drive and that set up my path because I went to an academy there and worked my way up the ranks.

2) If you could go back in time, would you? And where to?

I would go back to winning at the EUROs and being back at Wembley with all of my family, including my Mum. It was an incredible day and I would happily go back to that day again.

3) What do you like most about yourself?

I'm quite an energetic, bubbly person, and I think it's always sometimes nice for other people to get that energy when they haven't got it. And I feel like that makes me feel good if I can make somebody else feel good. So I would probably say that part of my personality.

4) What's your biggest achievement?

It would have to be the EUROs. Winning the tournament, being named player of the tournament and getting the Golden Boot – I’m not sure I will top that one.

5) What’s your worst habit?

Biting my nails. I don't do it as much as I used to, but I do it more when I'm either stressed or anxious. It is clearly a go-to which I need to still get out of the habit of doing but I am a lot better than I used to be.

6) What makes you most angry?

I guess I would probably say failure. Not getting into the Olympic squad was devastating and was followed by anger. But it probably helped me have the season I had so if you put the positive spin on it, it was probably the best form I've been in for my career for Arsenal and England. So I was very angry about the situation before, which made me play angry but stable. It was a good angry and controlled aggression. And then now, because of my injury, I’m probably more fired up and angrier than I’ve ever been because of missing a year of football.

7) Who is your biggest influence?

It has to be my parents, my Mum and my Dad. I wouldn’t be where I am now had they not pushed me out of my comfort zone, made me do things I didn't want to do, and taken me to every training session, every game when I couldn't drive as a kid. We lived in the middle of nowhere so it wasn’t as easy as just jumping on a bus or a train to get there so they were a big influence and had a big impact on my career.

8) How do you react to pressure?

I think pressure motivates me. If you channel it in the correct way, which I think now I've got older I do, you realise the games and the reason you want to play football are for the pressure moments. It's how you react to them. I enjoy every moment I'm playing and want to play the best that I can so for me, I try to channel that pressure in the best possible way. Competition also spurs me on and puts pressure on you to compete with other people. Plus thinking you are not going to be able to do something and proving people wrong.

9) When do you feel most at ease?

On a football pitch. It sounds very cliche but when you play, you don't have a worry in the world. You just worry about what you're doing on the football pitch. Everything else seems to disappear for me outside of football. Especially after missing football for a year and not being able to go on the pitch, because it is a safe space and where you can switch off from everything outside. I think having that taken away for a year means it is even more the place I can do that.

10) What do you dream about when you sleep?

I would always say that I dream about winning trophies for club and country. Winning the EUROs and winning a World Cup were the ultimate dreams. And even after winning the EUROs, I am still dreaming of winning major tournaments with Arsenal and England.

11) Do you have a favourite phrase or word?

I wouldn't say so. But I do have a couple of phrases I like. Starting out, my favourite one was always one my Mum told me: ‘One step at a time’. Sometimes you have to break things down. I also like the phrase: "Talent will only get you so far. Hard work will get you the rest of the way." I do truly believe that. I was talented as a kid and a big fish in a small pond but as I got further into my career, I knew talent would only get me so far and I had to work hard and be better. For the younger generation coming through, although you've got the talent, there's a lot of hard work and bumps that will come along the way. That is really important for them to understand and for myself as well.

12) What reminds you of home?

Countryside and the beach. I live in the middle of nowhere, right next to a cove of a beach. Also, my local town is very well known for fish and chips - Whitby. So probably that as well.

13) Are you superstitious about anything?

No, I'm not one of those people. I think everything happens for a reason, regardless of what else I do. I know a lot of the girls have certain superstitions, whether it's what boot they put on first or whatever. But for me, everything happens for a reason.

14) What makes you cry?

Films randomly. "Marley and Me" is the biggest one that makes me cry. I'm a sucker for films with a sad ending. I just got a little puppy myself so that film would get me even more now!

15) Is there one song that makes you feel good? Go-to song?

I do like just a good chilled song, like Adele, Dermot Kennedy and artists like that. It settles me and makes me happy. And of course Sweet Caroline. It is one which means a lot with England and my Mum chose it for her funeral song so it has a lot of meaning behind it for me personally.

16) What would you say has been your biggest obstacle or is your biggest obstacle?

For me, I think consistency has been my big obstacle. The season before the EUROs, I was very consistent, whereas the season before I wasn't and that became my downfall in terms of going to an Olympics. Consistency can be a big form of failure for me individually. Also injury and the setbacks that come with it. It has taken me a lot longer to come back from injury than I had been used to in my career so that would be one as well.

17) What's your favourite place in the world?

Probably on a football pitch where my family is – playing football with my family there. They're my two favourite things in the world.

18) What's your most valuable possession?

It would be my Mum’s wedding ring. I carry it everywhere with me now. She is not with us anymore, so it is priceless to me.

19) What's your worst fear?

Footballing wise, it would be fear of failure. I don't think anyone enjoys it. Physical fear, it would be spiders. I can't understand why something needs eight legs. I don't understand it! I had one in the house the other day and it laid eggs and had babies. So there was a big spider and loads of babies. It was hell on earth!

20) How would you like to be remembered?

Being remembered footballing-wise for making a difference. Whether it's pushing the women's game to the next level, making a statement on the pitch or being the best version of me. Also I'm a very personable and loving person and I want that to come across, whether I'm playing football or not.