09 June 2020

Chelsea boss Emma Hayes on why Beth England needed loan spell at Liverpool

Chelsea manager Emma Hayes has said Beth England’s loan spell at Liverpool gave her the resilience to become one of the Women’s Super League’s top scorers.

Hayes loaned England to the Reds in 2017 and the club finished sixth in the WSL that season with England as their top scorer.

“The loan experience allows the player to put into action the questions they might have for themselves. ‘Am I going to cut it at Chelsea? If I am, I’m going to have to go back and show that’,” Hayes told The Telegraph.

"Players can make managers the excuse why they don’t make it. Beth didn’t. Beth said: ‘I’ll do everything I possibly can. I’ll prove to you that I’m good enough to be a centre-forward for Chelsea.’ 

"She needed that 12 months to be ready for what she’s achieving now. It’s given her the last part, the resilience. The journey she’s gone through has absolutely been the right one for her.”

England was second only to Arsenal’s Vivieanne Miedema in goals scored in the WSL this season. 

Miedema scored 16 for The Gunners while England slotted 14 goals in 15 appearances for Chelsea.

She also scored both of The Blues’ goals in the club’s first Continental Cup title win over Arsenal back in February.

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