Keira Walsh: 'I finally got one!'

Keira Walsh had a smile as wide as the nearby Clifton Suspension Bridge following Friday evening’s five-star performance and victory over Belgium in Bristol.

The Lionesses midfielder, making her 83rd appearance for her country, was the heartbeat of the team throughout and capped it off by scoring her first goal for England in the 5-0 victory at Ashton Gate.

She’d already come close to breaking her duck shortly before, when she whistled a low shot at goal which skimmed the post before her memorable moment arrived to complete the scoring for the night.

“I’m really excited,” said the Chelsea ace.

“It took a big deflection, but a goal is a goal.

“I think all the girls were more happy for me which is a really nice feeling. I finally got one in the end!

“A few of them like to remind me how long it has taken me, but it was just a nice evening to be a part of.

“It was a great team performance. The subs who came in made a massive impact and it was nice to see us playing more free-flowing football.”

The squad will now turn their attention to their next game, which is the return fixture with Belgium in Leuven next Tuesday.

And the former Manchester City and Barcelona star believes the Lionesses are getting into their stride following an impressive start to 2025 with the prospect of this summer’s EUROs firmly in mind.

“Particularly after the Spain game, the way we defended and the way we played as team, it really gave us a lot of motivation,” she added.

“I think we can take a lot of confidence from that and I hope that the fans can see that tonight that we are feeling good.

“We are looking forward to the summer, we know it is going to be difficult, there are a lot of good teams, but we are feeling good, and we just want to be ready when the tournament comes.”