Few England players have worked as hard for their success as Ellen White.
Playing in her third World Cup, White has been one of the driving influences for Phil Neville’s team who play Norway in the quarterfinals on Thursday.
Already, White has scored four goals in three games - making her celebration of making “goggle eyes” a familiar sight during the tournament.
The much-talked about gesture is a tribute to FC Koln striker Anthony Modeste, a player White admires and who celebrated in the same way. The story goes that it started off as an “in joke” with her husband Callum but now it has taken on a life of its own.
Although she is third on the Golden Boot list, is not a title which particularly interests a player who is frequently described as selfless.
“I’m trying not to think about it too much, but a lot of people keep mentioning it to me,” she told the BBC. “For me, that’s not my priority. My priority is to contribute in any way I can on the pitch or off the pitch and that’s what I’m focusing on.
“I want the team to win and that’s the priority. I would give up everything for us to win the World Cup, there is no shadow of a doubt.”
Coach Neville has likened her hard-working attitude to that of Premier League legends Ruud van Nistelrooy, Michael Owen and Alan Shearer in that all of them are prepared to put a shift in while being able to score “typical” predator goals.
She will start next season at Manchester City after a stellar career which has included spells at Birmingham, Leeds, Notts County, Chelsea and Arsenal.
“Delighted doesn’t even cut it,” tweeted White after she signed for City last month, seen as a replacement for Nikita Parris who is heading for Lyon. “Can’t wait to get started!”
White will team up with England team-mate Georgia Stanway at the Etihad who at age 20 is the youngest player in the Lionesses squad.
In 2016, White received the Freedom of Aylesbury though as a youngster she was once told she couldn’t play for Aylesbury Town. As a child, she regularly played alongside and against boys - often bigger and older than her - and was spotted by Arsenal aged just eight years old.
She has played for England at under 23 level three times and also represented Great Britain at the 2012 London Olympics.
Against Norway, she will be a central figure as the Lionesses bid to keep their World Cup hopes alive
