BRISBANE, Australia — After the blinding spotlight and rock ‘n’ roll stardom of last summer when the Lionesses were the most recognisable faces in the country, England are building ahead of their Women’s World Cup campaign in the comparative quiet in Brisbane.
The reigning European champions flew into Australia the start of July and trained on the Sunshine Coast, a haven 60 miles of Brisbane, with their hotel just 30 seconds from the beach. It was calm, with the serenity having a profound effect on one of last summer’s stars. Ella Toone ditched lie-ins to watch sunrises, took up reading (Jamie Vardy’s autobiography) and swam in the Coral Sea.
All the while they trained, hacked through the jet lag and continued with the same meticulous preparation that served them so well when they won the Euros at home last summer. Upon relocating to Brisbane, their hotel is in the middle of the city, yet they can still head out and enjoy near-total anonymity, only occasionally getting stopped for autographs as they try out the local coffee scene.
