Paul Konchesky

Konchesky: Lionesses Euro 2022 triumph can inspire next generation

Paul Konchesky hailed the Lionesses after they lifted the UEFA Women’s Euro 2022 trophy after a 2-1 victory over Germany at Wembley Stadium.

Serina Wiegman’s side needed extra time to get the job done in front of a record crowd – and it would be Chloe Kelly that was score the winning goal in the 110th minute to seal England’s first major tournament win since the 1966 World Cup.

West Ham United Women's boss, Konchesky, who was reporting on the match live on Sky Sports News on Sunday evening, spoke of how the victory will inspire the next generation to take up the game.


It’s an unbelievable achievement for everyone out there tonight.

It’s brilliant for everyone that’s involved – the players, the staff and the fans who have witnessed it in the stadium and at home. The team deserve all of the praise that’s going to come their way because that was incredible.

It’s great for the nation, and hopefully it pulls everyone together and gets more people interested in the women’s game!

You can see how much it means to the players 

They’ve been incredible all throughout the tournament, and they’ve had to show real quality because they’ve come up against some really tough opposition  along the way.

They’ve had to show resilience at times, coming back against Spain and making sure that they got the job done in the opening game, which was a nervy one! Now they can go and enjoy it!

You can see how much it means to them all, everyone was crying at the full-time whistle because they know what it means – it’s huge!

It’s been a real team effort, you can see what a tight knit group this team are

The England group from the outside looks like one that’s really together, and that’s how you win trophies.

The starters have to do the job on the pitch, but the ones on the bench can really push those players on – and I think that unity has been a major part in what they’ve achieved tonight. 

Lionesses

Serina Wiegman has done a phenomenal job

She has an amazing record with England and she’s just achieved something that hasn’t been done by our nation since 1966. She’s brought that winning mentality to this team and fair play to her.

The team have really bought into her methods, and they’ve got their rewards!

There’s more pressure when you’re on your home turf 

People expect you to come away and lift the trophy, and this team have dealt with that all throughout the tournament and have done the business! 

I hope that it’s inspired every young girl in this country to want to be a footballer

I hope that young girls who are interested in football realise that you can achieve amazing moments like this and be rewarded. 

This tournament can really inspire the next generation of players to get involved in the game - we will look back on this moment as a huge day for the game. 

The players involved in that Lionesses team will leave a legacy that will help the game to grow, even more so than it has been over the last ten years.

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