EXCLUSIVE

Quek: Time for Lionesses to tame their World Cup woes
Copy icon

Matthew Hill
LiveScore
England return to action for the first time since losing the World Cup final to Spain on Friday
England return to action for the first time since losing the World Cup final to Spain on Friday

Sam Quek has urged England to draw a line under their World Cup heartache when they take on Scotland.

Friday's home nations clash at the Stadium of Light is the Lionesses' first outing since agonisingly losing the World Cup final to Spain 1-0 last month.

Quek, who won hockey gold with Team GB at the Rio 2016 Olympics, is certain Sarina Wiegman's stars will still be hurting — but also knows the importance of recovering from disappointment quickly.

Speaking exclusively to LiveScore, she said: "Reactions depend on the individual. For me, if I won a silver medal, I was that person who was so gutted not to win gold.

"I would allow myself to go through a grieving process afterwards, accept it for what it was and then get over it when we came back together as a squad.

"I actually think this is a good place for the Lionesses to be in. 

"They are at a point where they know they are good enough to win these tournaments, so of course it is gut-wrenching when they fall short.

"But you get to a point where you have to learn your lesson and look forward — and that starts now."

Wiegman's wisdom

Sam Quek has backed Sarina Wiegman to help England move on from their World Cup final defeat
Sam Quek has backed Sarina Wiegman to help England move on from their World Cup final defeat

The Lionesses' upcoming double-header with Scotland and the Netherlands are their opening two fixtures of the inaugural Women's Nations League.

Topping their group would see England book a spot in next February's finals, where both the trophy and places at the 2024 Olympics are up for grabs.

Quek believes a fresh focus will prove the perfect tonic for highly-rated coach Wiegman.

She said: "I really like Sarina as a manager. All of her players know their role and she doesn't mind changing things up if she believes it will help the team.

"She'll be grieving [the Spain loss] as a coach too but I'm certain she's already focused on that next cycle, what her group can achieve next and she'll pass that on to the players."

The 34-year-old broadcaster also hailed the Dutch tactician's methods when it comes to creating a strong culture.

Sam Quek expects the Lionesses to bounce back quickly from their World Cup final loss
Sam Quek expects the Lionesses to bounce back quickly from their World Cup final loss

Quek added: "I've been in dressing rooms where the culture hasn't been great, players have resented team-mates or coaches due to a lack of game time — but I don't see that in this group.

"Sarina comes across straight down the line, 'This is where you stand, this is what you have to work on'. That is a player's dream."

Tags

England WEnglandSpain WSpainScotland WUEFA Women's Nations League A
LiveScore logo

LiveScore: Live Sport Updates

Footbal Scores & Sports News

App storeGoogle play

About

Sports News - Latest Sports News & Today's Headlines

Stick with LiveScore for the latest sports news from around the world. Regardless of which sport is your favourite, you’ll always find the biggest headlines and stories in one place. From football to cricket, tennis to motorsport, we cover all the top stories from the most popular sports and much, much more. Throw in betting tips for anyone 18 or over and you have a match-winning formula at your fingertips. Breaking sports news flows thick and fast and we’re always here to deliver regular updates and insight as stories develop. Regardless of the time, the sports world never sleeps as so many different leagues, events and tournaments take place globally. And that means you’ll always have sports news to consume 24/7.