England's Lionesses are ready to produce their hottest form as they take on the USA in their World Cup semi-final.
Because they secretly started preparing for playing in a heatwave by piling on jumpers in training back home and sweating it out in saunas.
Now they’ll face the World Champions in Lyon on Tuesday in temperatures that could soar to 45C before the 8pm kick-off. The team’s superstar Lucy Bronze revealed what the team did to try to get acclimatised.
“In England we wore extra layers. On the first day of training everyone was wearing this thick top like, phew,” she said.
“We went in the sauna too, but it’s not the same as having the burning sun on your skin. But everyone is looking sharp and ready.”
Powerful defender Lucy’s surging runs are thought to hold the key to England’s chances. England boss Phil Neville reckons she’s the best player in the world.
Lucy has told how she’s always been competitive, especially with team-mate Lucy Staniforth, who she grew up with in Alnwick, Northumberland.
Lucy Bronze said: “We are super competitive. I would text her and say, ‘Lucy, I’ve just done 50 keepy ups. And she’d text me back and say, ‘Well Lucy, I’ve just done 70.’ It kept escalating until it was in the hundreds.”
Lucy Bronze played in Alnwick Town boys team until 12. At 16 she made the Sunderland first team which went on to win the FA Women’s FA Cup final in 2009. A scholarship in the US followed then a Sports Studies degree at Leeds Beckett University which saw her working at Domino’s to make extra dough.
Her ex-housemate Becky Kendall-Chambers, 27, was on the uni team with her. “Lucy was really shy at uni, but football brought her out of shell,” she says.
“She was always training, but when we did go out she was fun and silly. She brought pizzas back for us but never ate much of them as she was on a diet.
“I knew she’d succeed. She had that mentality.”
Another Leeds team-mate Ellie Christon, 25, said: “Lucy would take on a coaching role with us. She was the mother hen of the group and has always been my role model.”
After graduating, Lucy went back to play for Sunderland, then Everton , Liverpool and Manchester City before a dream move to French team Olympique Lyonnais in 2017.
Peter Mackreth, headed up Lucy’s course at uni, says: “Lucy was special. She was dedicated and professional, fun and down to earth. Everyone who taught her would say that.
“To see her become this successful makes us incredibly proud.”