Euro 2022 winner Nikita Parris returns to Toxteth to help inspire next generation of Lionesses

Euro 2022 winner Nikita Parris surprised a group young footballers when she turned up to deliver a coaching session in Toxteth.

The Scouser became a household name when she helped fire England’s Lionesses to UEFA European Women’s Football Championship glory in the summer and earned a move to Manchester United.

On Monday, she joined the ‘Weetabix Wildcats’, a group offering girls non-competitive football sessions led by FA approved coaches across the UK, at the Tiber Football Centre in Liverpool.

Parris returns to her roots

“Tiber Field is where my journey began with Kingsley United,” Parris told LiverpoolWorld. “We didn’t quite have this lovely turf, we had a grass pitch, but it’s so nice to come back and give back. Listen to the noise and excitement that we’re hearing today. It’s unbelievable.”

“I think when you’re young, be a sponge, take up as much information as possible, but most importantly enjoy every single day because football is a lovely sport. You can get to know new people, you get to have fun, and ultimately you get to play one of the best sports there is.”

“I can really see women’s football reaching a pinnacle that it has never reached before. The most important thing is that we keep the momentum of the summer, keep young girls coming into the sport, and keep fans coming through the turnstiles.”

Tiber Football Centre is a facility with a FIFA standard full-sized pitch just off Lodge Lane in Toxteth, predominantly for young people and kids of all ages.

However, they do facilitate sessions for the wider community, with a group for female refugees and men who are looking to get fit, respectively.

Inspiring young women

Mark Morrison, Manager of Tiber football centre, said: “For me, it’s really important that Nikita has come down and spent time with us in the community because it’s given some of these young girls an opportunity that they would never have.

“I think for us, going forward, it’s quite important because England are the European champions, we actually try and push more and more girls football not just locally but throughout the city.”

New analysis has found that the searches for ‘Girl’s football team’ rose 3,167% as England won UEFA Women’s Euro 2022, showing the inspiration for young girl’s to take up the sport.

The research by fitness experts fitnessvolt.com analysed Google Trends data over the past week to find that searches for ‘Girl’s football team’ saw a massive spike as the Lionesses won their first major international tournament.