Finnigan Up For Euros Challenge

Finnigan Up For Euros Challenge

Ladies defender looking to add European Championships gold to her collection.

Megan Finnigan is looking to add European Championship gold to the Spring Series winners medal she won with Everton back in May.

The Blue Girls defender has been called up to Mo Marley’s England Under-19s squad for the tournament that kicks off in Northern Ireland on 8 August.

The young Lionesses face Italy, Netherlands then France in Group B, and Finnigan recognises her side must be on their game to navigate a tricky first stage of the Championships.

But she is equally adamant there is plenty of talent within the England ranks to suggest the Lionesses should have aspirations of lifting the trophy at Windsor Park in Belfast.

“I am very excited for the tournament,” she told evertonfc.com. “We feel like we have a good chance of winning it. We also have the chance to qualify for the World Cup, based on how we do, so it is very exciting.

“Maybe we are putting a little bit more pressure on ourselves thinking we can win it. But we don’t say it too much; we just speak about it internally within the camp. We have dealt with pressure before in big games so we know we can handle it. We had to qualify back in April and we dealt with that occasion just fine. So we would be disappointed if we didn’t go on and win it.”
Beyond excited to get out to Belfast in a few weeks time for the U19 Euros 💃🏻✌🏻 A post shared by Megan Finnigan (@meganfinnigan1) on Jul 12, 2017 at 1:44pm PDT

Finnigan is a senior figure within the Under-19s squad and has captained the side on occasion when regular skipper Grace Fisk has missed out. As such, she is ready to step up and lead the squad, especially after a successful Spring Series under her belt. “I have had the opportunity to captain the team recently and I am vice captain usually,” she added. “Whether I have the armband or not, I still see myself as a leader within the team. It doesn’t make a difference to me whether I am captain or vice or whatever.

“I am going into the tournament with a lot of confidence after the Spring Series. I have been at Everton for 10 years and that was the first bit of silverware I have won since I came here. It was a proud moment and it has given me a lift going away with England.”

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