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Maya Le Tissier has emphasised her determination to keep improving after returning to the England squad following the \u201cbittersweet\u201d experience of her summer.<\/p>\n
The 21-year-old Manchester United defender was part of the Lionesses\u2019 preparations for the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, but not their subsequent run to the final, having been named as one of two standby players that flew home as the tournament began.<\/p>\n
Two-cap Le Tissier, who says it was \u201cdevastating\u201d to not make Sarina Wiegman\u2019s World Cup 23, is now back as a member of the first squad selected since, for matches in the inaugural Women\u2019s Nations League against Scotland on Friday and the Netherlands four days later.<\/p>\n
She said of her summer: \u201cIt was bittersweet. I loved Australia, loved being with the girls. I really enjoyed my experience out there, it\u2019s such a cool country.<\/p>\n
\u201cJust being a small part of the preparation going into the tournament has definitely made me more hungry to be selected for the next tournaments to come.<\/p>\n
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\u201cObviously it was devastating when I got the call that I wasn\u2019t selected in the 23, but there was nothing else I could really do apart from be as good as I could for the team and try to put myself in the best place I could, helping them prepare for the World Cup.\u201d<\/p>\n
Asked how desperate she was to make the cut for Euro 2025 \u2013 England players also have the target of next summer\u2019s Olympics with Great Britain, qualification for which can be secured via the Nations League \u2013 Le Tissier said: \u201c(I\u2019m) extremely desperate, but it\u2019s in two years \u2013 there\u2019s a lot that can happen in two years.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just need to focus on playing football and getting better. I\u2019m still young so I\u2019ve got a lot of things to learn and improve on, so if I can do that, that\u2019ll put me in the best place to be selected.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m just focusing on the present, doing well in these next two games with England and starting the Women\u2019s Super League season (on October 1).<\/p>\n
\u201c(I need to) just keep playing well and doing well for United, doing well when I\u2019m here, and hopefully be a big part of the team in years to come.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think I can look at the players and take a lot from them, and see how I can develop.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re European champions and they just got to a World Cup final. I\u2019m very inspired by the rest of the team and I just have to perform, day in, day out, as well as I can and consistently.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve still got a long way to go, so it\u2019s exciting to see what happens in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n
England kick off their Nations League Group A1 fixtures by playing the Scots at Sunderland\u2019s Stadium of Light.<\/p>\n
Le Tissier said: \u201cI think Scotland-England is a game everyone wants to be a part of.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey want to beat us, we want to beat them, and it\u2019s going to be an exciting game, especially up north. They\u2019re massive football fans up there.<\/p>\n
\u201cI watched the men\u2019s game the other day (a 3-1 win for England at Hampden Park) and it was a crazy atmosphere as well, so we\u2019re really looking forward to the game.<\/p>\n
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\u201cThey\u2019ve got some good players but we\u2019ll be focusing on ourselves and seeing what we can do to beat them.\u201d<\/p>\n
After that contest, England then head to Utrecht for the Netherlands match.<\/p>\n