Nikita Parris is gearing up for her first appearance at a senior international tournament – and she’s ready to make her mark.
The 23-year-old forward is part of the England squad that will jet off to the Netherlands next week for the UEFA Women’s Euro finals.
Prolific at youth level, Parris made her senior team bow in June last year, against Serbia, and has already collected 12 caps, scoring three goals.
And now she can’t wait to pull on the Three Lions shirt on the biggest stage.
Parris said: “I asked Karen Carney how she found her first major tournament [Euro 2005] and she said it was the best one.
“She said she was fearless and didn’t know what to expect. That sounds very similar to how I feel.
“No team knows me, and I don’t know what to expect from them – but I hope they know who I am by the end of the tournament.
“I’m pushing myself and I know I need to improve every day. I’ll be coming up against the best players in Europe so I want to make sure I’m ready.
“It’s a challenge – but I’m well up for it.”
Parris has played in Euro finals at U17 and U19 level as well as at the U20 World Cup, in 2014.
The Manchester City youngster is confident those experiences in the younger age groups will stand her in good stead later this month, when England face Scotland (on 19 July), Spain (23 July) and Portugal (27 July) in the group stages.
Parris added: “Knowing how a tournament works is a massive thing.
“I think my body will be well used to playing every three or four days because I did it a lot for the youth teams.
“But it’s not just the physical side. It’s knowing the pressures that come with tournament football, too, knowing each game and each point is vital.
“I can’t wait to see what the tournament environment is like at senior level.”
After she made her England debut, Parris thanked Mo Marley [England Women’s U19s and U20s head coach] for helping her develop into a senior international.
But the former Everton star was also assisted by Sportsaid.
Sportsaid helps young British athletes overcome the financial challenges they face as they bid to reach the top of their respective sport.
Sir Chris Hoy, Sir Bradley Wiggins and Dame Sarah Storey have all been recipients of Sportsaid funding in recent years.
Parris received financial support between the ages of 15 and 18 as she made her way into the Toffees’ first team.
She explained: “I went on these two-day residential camps with loads of other athletes and we’d learn about how to cope under pressure, we spoke about integrity and hunger and learnt about each other’s sports, too.
“After the first camp I won an award of £500 which I used to buy equipment. I bought cones, balls and a bit of sportswear for when I trained in the park on my own. I even used it to pay for my travel to training because my mum doesn’t drive.
“When I was 15, I was obviously still at school and I wasn’t getting paid by Everton, so that support was a massive thing for me.
“I’m so grateful for what Sportsaid did for me when I was younger. They were a huge help.”
