Meet the England women's deaf squad

Our England women’s deaf team have landed in Croatia as they prepare to challenge for the European Championship Finals this month.

The Para Lionesses kick-off their group stage against Poland on Tuesday 10 March (2.30pm GMT), before they take on Italy on Thursday 12 March (9am GMT), Switzerland on Saturday 14 March (2.30pm GMT) and France on Sunday 15 March (4pm GMT).

And ahead of the tournament, England captain Zara Musker has been speaking about her excitement as Steve Daley’s team look to secure the title.

“The girls went out to the World Cup last year and they were amazing but we fell just short and we didn't get what we wanted,” she said.

“But that's given us more motivation this time to go one better. The training camp in Tenerife can’t be underestimated either, because the impact that having that contact time which we don't often get by being together for a week is so beneficial.

“I think we're ready technically, tactically, physically and mentally and we’re excited to get out there, have a few days to get together and prepare.

“We're a very close team, we’re like a family and I think when you're in para football, when you're around people that have the same sort of disabilities and the same sort of challenges in daily life, you have that special bond.

“We're just so excited to get on the court and hopefully put everything into practice that we've been doing over the last two years. We also have an amazing team behind the scenes, it’s not just the coaching staff but the analysts, the nutrition, strength and conditioning, the kit man and everyone that’s involved. It’s a massive team effort.

“It’s not just the players on the pitch but the work that goes on behind the scenes is the reason we’re in this position to go and represent England.”

And Zara also gave us the rundown on the 13-player squad who will be in Porec representing the Lionesses at the tournament…

Ellie Betteridge

She’s a new addition to the team so she's only been involved for just over a year now, but I think she's brought a huge amount of her personality onto the team on and off the pitch. Her technical and tactical skills have really sort of helped us elevate as a team, so it's really exciting to have her on board.

Kate Bowers

Kate has actually just come back from injury because she had an ACL rupture, so she's obviously been behind the scenes working hard to get back into the squad. But as a person on and off the court, I think she's a massive asset to the team. She brings goals to the team on the court and then off the court, she brings a huge wealth of experience from a football point of view. I think all the girls look up to her for that, so that's really important for us as a team.

Emma Brown

Emma is England through and through and has been in the team since it started really so she’s one of the OGs and she's transitioned from an outfield player to a goalkeeper. It's a new role for her, but exciting for her to still be part of the squad. And I think everyone would say, from their point of view, that Emma's a big part of the team. I think her experience of Futsal really helps in those games where it gets a little bit tough.

Danielle Evans

Danielle's another OG, she's been around the team from the beginning. To get to where we're at now, I think she would agree with me that there's been a massive change in the structure of para football and she just brings that calmness to the group. From a teammate’s perspective, and especially from my point of view, we link up quite well and we play the same position so I work really closely with her. She's also our vice captain, so a lot of communication from my point of view goes through her as well.

Natasha Hamm

She's very new into the squad, and she's only been playing Futsal for about a year and a half now. She's another of the goalkeepers and I think sometimes you underestimate how much of a role that they play in the team. She brings that experience from a shot-stopping point of view and I think she'll be a crucial part of the tournament.

Louise Hogan

Louise really brings the passion, determination, commitment and the real fire that when the going gets tough, she's one of those players that I look at to be like: ‘Come on, we need to get through this now.’ So she's a very powerful player on the court, and off the court she's very passionate about playing for England and just doing her best for the team.

Lucindha Lawson

From my point of view, Lucindha is one of the players that I've really seen improve the most. From where she was at the beginning, to where she's at now is absolutely worlds apart. We rely on her more than others, especially from an experience point of view. She can just get on the ball and get us into the areas that we need to get into so we can score goals. Off the court, she brings a lot of personality. She's always willing to play games and she's funny, so she’s great to be around in our downtime just to take that seriousness away.

Sophie Murnagh

Sophie's one of the new members of the squad, so it'll be an exciting tournament for her. I think it's her first ever experience of tournament football with England so what an honour and a privilege she's going to have. It's a testament to her ability that she's only a young girl, but she's managed to make it into an elite senior women's England Futsal squad. There's no pressure on her this tournament, she's just enjoying it and she’s definitely one for the future.

Maisie O'Shea

Maisie is one of my close mates. I've been through quite a lot with her and she's my roommate in most of the tournaments we’ve been at together. From a personal point of view, Maisie does a lot more for me than I think she realises. She brings a lot of calmness, and she's tactically one of the best Futsal players I've ever come across. If we get a full on-form Maisie O'Shea, it will be an exciting tournament for sure.

Lucy Scholes

Lucy's another new member of the squad and she brings a lot on the court and off the court. She really brings players together and I think you always need players in the squad that can help do that. She's never got a bad word to say, she's always got a smile on her face and she's always willing to go above and beyond for people. That's a real testament to her character and she tries to embed that into the squad.

Faye Williams

Faye's been around for a long time and I think she's another one that's improved massively. Her technical ability is absolutely fantastic and I think she'll be exciting at this tournament. She brings a lot on the court in terms of her ability to sort of score goals when you're not expecting it. That's what you need in tournament football, you need that person to be able to get a goal in unseen circumstances and she's a player that will do that for us.

Macie White

Macie is a really exciting player. She's a goalscorer and she's just an amazing girl. I've watched her come through her Futsal journey from being 14, 15 to now being 18 years old and coming away to this tournament. Every year, I’ve watched her grow and I just think, wow, what an amazing player she's turning into. She's gone from a young girl to a mature young adult, and I think Macie could be a captain for the future and probably the future of deaf women's Futsal if she continues the way she’s going.

Zara Musker

That's a hard one! Last year, I missed out due to a serious back injury and that was a massive thing for me. I've been working hard over the last year to get myself fit and had a few niggles along the way, but I'm just hoping to bring that experience and that togetherness. As a team, we're in an amazing place and we're all just really looking forward to getting out there and being able to show the world what we can do and what we're about. I think from a para football point of view, we're trying to show people and other young girls and boys that there's a pathway and no matter what your disability is or your challenges, there are opportunities out there. I live my life by being the role model I never had.