An England footballer called Moore playing against Germany at Wembley. Sound familiar?
That is the scenario in store for Birmingham City midfielder Jade Moore, as Mark Sampson’s Women's squad prepare to host the eight-time European champions on Sunday 23 November.
It is the first time the 'Lionesses’ will have played at Wembley since it re-opened in 2007 – and the 24-year-old cannot wait to emulate her namesake Bobby in front of a bumper crowd.
England Women v Germany
Breast Cancer Care International
3pm, Sunday 23 November
Wembley Stadium connected by EE
Live on BBC Two
Moore said: “Playing Germany in any game at any venue would be special but the fact it’s at Wembley and that we’ve sold so many tickets just adds to the whole occasion.
“It’s exciting, it’s something we’ve never done before and to have that many people coming to watch just increases your desire to want to be a part of it.
“We need to put on a performance for all the fans that are coming to watch. But we’re looking at that as a positive pressure."
With ticket sales set to create a record attendance for an England Women's match in this country, Moore says it is testament to the progress the group has made in recent years.
“When Mark first came in he told us he wanted to get more fans behind us, more fans coming to our games," she added.
"He wanted to one day get to a crowd of 25,000 and we’ve done that. That’s credit to all of us, the players and the staff for raising awareness of the game.”
If selected for the Germany game, it will be the first time Moore has ever graced the hallowed turf – but it will not be her first experience of Wembley.
In 2009, she was a key member of the U19s squad that won the European Championship for the first time.
By way of congratulations, Mo Marley’s triumphant players were invited to the stadium to parade their trophy to the 76,000 fans that had come to watch Fabio Capello’s senior team defeat Belarus 3-0 in a World Cup qualifier.
Moore added: “That was the first time I’d ever been to Wembley. It was a great event and great to see the stadium. To see all those fans clapping us and cheering us was really special. It meant a lot to us all.
“It’s a game we’d all love to be a part of.”
Jade Moore
“But back then I didn’t ever expect to one day be potentially playing there against a big team like Germany.”
Moore has been in fine fettle for her country of late.
She started three of England’s final five World Cup qualifiers, and her typically energetic displays helped achieve victories over Ukraine, twice, and Belarus.
She said: “The first step for me was getting a starting place. I’d come off the bench quite a lot for England but once I got that first start it settled me down a bit and allowed me to play my game.
“I really enjoyed being able to help the team qualify for the World Cup.
“But now it's about Germany, and this is a game we’d all love to be a part of.”
Squad
Goalkeepers: Karen Bardsley (Manchester City), Siobhan Chamberlain (Arsenal), Carly Telford (Notts County)
Defenders: Laura Bassett (Chelsea), Lucy Bronze (Liverpool), Alex Greenwood (Everton), Steph Houghton (Manchester City), Claire Rafferty (Chelsea), Alex Scott (Arsenal), Demi Stokes (University of South Florida)
Midfielders: Karen Carney (Birmingham City), Jade Moore (Birmingham City), Jordan Nobbs (Arsenal), Jo Potter (Birmingham City), Jill Scott (Manchester City), Fara Williams (Liverpool)
Forwards: Eniola Aluko (Chelsea), Jess Clarke (Notts County), Toni Duggan (Manchester City), Fran Kirby (Reading), Lianne Sanderson (Boston Breakers), Kelly Smith (Arsenal), Jodie Taylor (Washington Spirit).
