Grace Clinton: "I thought, ‘wow, I need a cuppa or something now!"

England's Grace Clinton has already made her mark on the international stage, with three goals in five appearances for Sarina Wiegman's side.

And after commemorating her debut against Austria in February last year with a goal, the 21 year old hasn't looked back as she gears up for another camp.

Ahead of the Lionesses' UEFA Nations League opener against Portugal, the midfielder reflects on her England upbringing and the start of her senior career.

First development call-up: "I was playing at Everton in the academy. My mum and dad got the email because it went to your parents first. They got me in the living room and they told me. I just remember being really happy because I was never really involved with the under-15s and then I got called up to the under-17s. When I went on camp, I remember it being quite a reality check because going to play with the best of the best in the country of your age. I remember it being hard at first but then I made friends for life and it was just amazing."

First senior call-up: "I was sat in the player house when I was at Tottenham chilling with the girls. I was getting this call but we didn’t have very good signal and I was saying, ‘someone keeps ringing me’. I went outside where the signal was a bit better and found out it was Sarina. I was just shocked and overwhelmed – I didn’t realise what was happening – but then I was really excited. I thought, ‘wow, I need a cuppa or something now!’ It was a really nice moment."

That debut feeling ❤️

📺 Watch Camp Life with Grace Clinton in full here 👇

— Lionesses (@Lionesses) April 18, 2024

First time meeting your first development head coach: My first youth team manager was Lydia Bedford (former England WU17s head coach, now manager of Calgary Wild). I was quite young then and it was more about playing for fun and just enjoying the game. I just remember being in that environment and enjoying every moment with my friends.

First time meeting your first senior team head coach: I met Sarina (Wiegman) on my first-ever camp after she rang me. She just sat down with me and said, ‘shall we go for a cuppa?’ She was just really nice and welcoming and just reassuring that I deserved to be here and she just told me to be myself.

First lesson learnt playing for the development teams: The first thing I ever learnt playing at youth level was it was just a different intensity. When you play for your country, it’s so different to playing for your club. I think just keeping up with that intensity and how fast the game is when you’re playing against people who are the best in their country. In each age group, it got better and better and it was the same for us. I was just learning how to get fitter and faster and increase my intensity.

First lesson learnt playing for the senior team: It's probably similar, to be fair. You’re playing against the best players. It just gets faster and faster and you have to keep growing with the game.

First goal for the development teams: I don’t remember it but I used to shoot from long distance quite a lot – at Everton, I scored some long-distance goals so probably something like that!

First goal for the senior team: In the first half of the game against Austria, it was such an amazing feeling but it was good for me because it settled by nerves. Because it was my first time playing for England, it was a reassuring thought that, ‘OK, you’ve got a goal now’.

First friend you made in the development age groups: Missy Goodwin was always in my age groups. She plays for Leicester now and she’s absolutely smashing it. She was my first best friend at youth level. She was just really funny and really good at football, so I got on with her!

First friend you made in the senior squad: I was around Tooney (Ella Toone) and Alessia (Russo) at my club, and Millie (Turner), so I was naturally close to the United girls because I played with them at club level.

First impressions upon arrival in your first development squad: My first youth camp was in York. It was in this big hotel but it was like a school hotel and it was quite old. It was just so nice because we were there as a group and it doesn’t matter where you are when you’re with your friends and doing what you love. I remember thinking, ‘I’d love to be on these all the time’.

First impressions upon arrival in your first senior squad: My first call-up was in August 2023 for the Nations League games. I’d come to St George’s Park quite a lot when I was playing for the youth teams, so it was quite an easy transition and a familiar place to settle into quickly.