Bethany England has gone from serving fish and chips in a Barnsley local to World Cup finalist…as the England striker reveals the hard graft that’s gone into her football career

England Lioness Bethany England has taken the long route to World Cup finalist, and it all began in a Barnsley fish and chip shop. 

The Tottenham striker has proved to be a useful weapon for Sarina Wiegman’s side during their run to the World Cup Final this Sunday, coming off the bench as another attacking option in games against Denmark, China, Nigeria and Colombia. 

Yet it’s a far cry from England’s early beginnings, where she was shovelling chips into the hands of locals as she juggled a day job around her footballing career and finishing her A Levels. 

After spending four years with Barnsley’s youth team, England signed for Sheffield United’s all-girls team before moving to Doncaster Belles, aged 16, to become a first-team regular. 

However, her fledging football career had to be manoeuvred around her 9-5 shifts serving cod and chips, sometimes working on match days and having just three hours sleep before taking her place up front the Belles. 

England used to juggle shifts working in a fish and chip shop alongside her football career 

The England striker made sure of her World Cup place after scoring 13 goals for Tottenham 

The tough routine saw the forward admit in a 2020 interview that it was the hard graft that helped her get where she is today. 

‘Everyone’s journey is different,’ England said. 

‘I can’t say mine has been easy. It’s just been a long old roll, just putting myself out there, trying to prove myself.

‘I have always been a grafter. My parents brought me up to never give up and be a worker.’

The work certainly paid off for England, after helping Doncaster to promotion in 2016 she earned herself a move to WSL side Chelsea.

During her time with the Blues, the Lioness would net over 70 goals for the club and win four WSL titles, as coach Emma Hayes hailed her as the best number nine in the league. 

The striker came off the bench and scored in England’s penalty shoot out win over Nigeria 

Chelsea coach Emma Hayes called England the WSL’s best number nine during her seven-year stint with the Blues 

Seeking more first-team opportunities ahead of this summer’s World Cup, England moved to Spurs in January for a domestic record fee of £250,000 and her 13 goals helped the club avoid relegation. 

That form helped secure her a place in Wiegman’s World Cup squad and England has already played an important role in the team’s run to the final. 

Keeping her nerve to slot home one of the spot-kicks in the Lionesses penalty shootout win over Nigeria in the tournament’s last sixteen. 

Now the striker could go from serving up dinner to Barnsley locals, to help serving up England’s first World Cup win since 1966.