Bethany England gives inside look at Lionesses World Cup camp: Grey's Anatomy, kangaroos & group hugs

With preparations for the impending Women's World Cup in full swing and the tournament kicking off in a matter of days, Lionesses striker Bethany England gave 90min an exclusive look into what the first week has been like in England's training camp on the Sunshine Coast.

The England team flew Down Under last week, arriving in Australia just over a fortnight ahead of their opening game against Haiti in the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup.

For Bethany England, heading to her first World Cup after being part of the triumphant Euro 2022 squad last summer is incredibly exciting, yet also daunting after being out of the international fold for nearly nine months prior to Sarina Wiegman selecting the final 23-player squad.

Making the cut, the Spurs striker is one of three 'number nines' in the squad and gave an exclusive peak behind the curtain into the team's training camp, both on the pitch and off.

Getting to Australia and dealing with jetlag has been the first hurdle for the 2019/20 FWA Footballer of the Year.

"Obviously, we were lucky that we got to be able to sleep on the flight, a bit of a lie-down," England said, sitting down for 90min at their base an hour north of Brisbane on the Sunshine Coast.

"I didn't manage to sleep that much compared to everyone else. I was too busy making sure everyone got their food when the air hostess came around. I was like, oh, get Keira [Walsh]'s food or get Jess [Carter]'s food for her. It was long, but it was all right."

"I was up watching some TV whilst they were coming down and taking orders; I'd made sure I knew what the people on either side of me orders were so that when it came, I was able to wake them up.

"I've been a good teammate mate," she added with a laugh and grin.

The former Chelsea player told 90min about her love for Grey's Anatomy, the show becoming her choice watch to pass the time during the 24-hour flight from England, creating a fond memory for the 29-year-old who is heading to her first World Cup.

"I've flown through so much of it. I think I'm like halfway through season 14 now. I got through a lot of hours," she said.

"There was one [episode] in season 13 - it was so funny because everyone was asleep, and I'm like sobbing at this episode, and then I just remember Jess sitting up and looking around the bed at me and then Keira [Walsh} was like, 'why are you crying?' and I told her, something sad happened, so then they're both laughing at me because I'm just absolutely sobbing my heart out on a plane.

"But it was worth it. I'm a crier, it's fine, there's no shame in it."

England's journey to the World Cup has been no easy feat. She left Chelsea, her home of seven years, in January to join struggling Tottenham in a WSL record transfer. It was a roll of a dice, but she had the World Cup at the back of her mind.

England called it the biggest risk of her career, the striker scored 12 WSL goals in 12 appearances, saving Spurs from relegation, and earned her place among Wiegman's 2023 World Cup squad. The move was hailed one of the best transfers of the 2202/23 season, both for player and club.

Back on the jetlag, the four-time WSL champion revealed it has been hard to adjust to the nine-hour time difference between her temporary home in Australia and home back in England.

READ THE LATEST LIONESSES NEWS AHEAD OF THE 2023 WOMEN'S WORLD CUP

When asked if she had managed to speak to her family back home, most importantly, catch up with her two dogs, Buddy and Dilys, England said she'd been able to connect a little bit but was losing track of time whilst making the adjustment to a new time zone.

"A little bit," she said, referring to speaking with her family. "The time difference has been a bit of a tricky one, although me being up earlier has actually helped," the 29-year-old revealed that whilst adjusting to jetlag, she had been waking up at 4.30 am, making it 7.30 pm back home in the UK.

"It was a good time that I could ring and stuff, but, um, it's been how long? I don't even know how long we've been here now. Like a week or something? I've almost lost track of the days. Is it Friday? Thursday. So we've been out here a week, and I miss my dogs," she said with a laugh.

Reflecting on the mood around camp, the Barnsley native revealed the difference between this camp and their camp during the emphatic Euro 2022 win.

"In England, we had it a bit lucky last year where home comforts weren't too far away," she said. "But here, it's almost like you haven't really got a choice because you're so far away from everything. The time difference of speaking to people, you're managing all that. So I think there's more time to actually just focus and think about what you're doing.

"For me personally, just getting up, going out on the beach, and the scenery is just really calming and peaceful- I would say 'holiday mode' is the wrong term because we're still very much here for work, but again, it helps when you do switch off, it's so much more calming."

Whilst she detailed that experience so far had been lovely, the past week had not been without its tribulations. Recalling a moment of sadness in the evening prior, England disclosed a heartwarming moment that delineated the sort of close-knit family unit the team had morphed into.

"I think everyone is in a position where if they needed help, they'd be able to speak out," she said.

"Even last night at dinner, there was a couple of the girls and me, and I said I felt like I was having a bit of a sad day where I just needed a good cry. I don't know if it's because it's finally hitting home that we're so far away, and there's still a long way to go.

"And it's nice because we're actually able to speak about it openly. I'm not shy about my emotions; as I just said, I cried at Grey's Anatomy. So I went to dinner, I was just like, look, I just need a hug. And end up having a little group hug and a little chat, and then it makes you feel better."

At the edge of their hotel on the Sunshine Coast, the Lionesses are blessed with beachfront access, the coastline being right on their doorstep, something the team has been making the most of.

"The beach is right there, so most mornings we've been out, whether it's at 7:00 AM, walking around the beach, and it's so soothing and peaceful," England explained. "Some of us went whale watching the other day, which was pretty cool; actually really surreal to see that in person, in their natural habitat, so that was a really amazing trip to go on.

Whilst exploring the grounds of the basecamp for their preparations, England, along with the other 22 players, have experienced all the joys of Australian wildlife. Kangaroos roaming around the grounds of the hotel and neighbouring areas, making it somewhat of a bucket list moment for the striker.

"It's amazing, and we've seen a baby one and the mum the other day as well, feels like that's a bucket list one ticked off that I've seen them," she gushed.

Revealing she hasn't given much thought to what else she wanted to see outside from the tournament, opting to focus on the preparations at hand, the only two things she considered 'bucket list' items, involved native wildlife.

"Honestly, I can't say I've thought about doing things whilst I'm here because, obviously, I'm here for work. I think obviously the kangaroo was a big one and maybe see a koala. That would probably be just the icing on the cake," she added.

Another down time activity favoured by England and former Chelsea teammate Jess Carter is a game of pool. The pair held a mini tournament whilst on camp for the 2022 Euros, something they have opted to do again whilst in Australia.

"We had a couple of games. I must say I've won both of them, but we've not started our tally yet. I think we're waiting till we move to our official place before the games really start and we get to the nitty-gritty of it," the player revealed.

"I think we've just all been a bit shattered from travel and getting used to things. Downtime has just been sitting by the beach or just actually relaxing."

The Lionesses base in Australia since their arrival on 6 July until 17 July is the Sunshine Coast hotel however, once the competition is in full swing, their base relocates to Central Coast Stadium in Terrigal, just over an hour from Sydney.

Whilst downtime and relaxation have been a pivotal focus of the team, their training schedule is still an imperative regime at the heart of the current camp, despite jetlag proving some difficulties in the early sessions.

"I think training-wise, everyone is really always putting in everything when they get there. It's probably after training that you've; the tiredness hits you when you're fighting to stay awake at seven o'clock in the evening," England said.

"Everyone's definitely excited; I think you can sense that. Obviously, it's a different group to last summer, but the vibe is very much everyone's excited and raring to go."