FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Women's Euro 2025 Qualifier - England v Republic of Ireland - Carrow Road, Norwich, Britain - July 12, 2024 England's Lauren Hemp reacts Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Couldridge/File Photo
ZURICH (Reuters) -There are few bigger rivalries in sport than England versus Wales which England forward Lauren Hemp said makes Sunday's pivotal final group game of Euro 2025 in St. Gallen all the more exciting for the defending champions.
While England's 4-0 thrashing of the Netherlands on Wednesday got their European campaign back on track, to ensure their passage to the quarter-finals they still must beat debutantes Wales, who would love nothing more than to spoil England's party.
"It's a great rivalry that we have, and they're the games you want to be involved in," Hemp said at the team's training base on Friday. "They're the ones that I absolutely love playing in. I feel like we don't need to explain the rivalry.
"Obviously we've got so much respect for Wales. They've done really well in the competition so far but we're very desperate to win, and we know what it's going to take to win."
After England's lacklustre 2-1 loss to France in their opener, the players and coach Sarina Wiegman talked about getting back to being "proper England".
"We've spoken about it a lot. I think off the back of that disappointing result, taking a step back and remembering why we're here and how we all got here, the journeys that we've been on," Hemp said.
"Coming into all the prep camps, we've all spoken about our journeys and what it feels like to be here and going back and remembering all that, especially after that first game, that disappointment, it's like: right, we're here to win."
A striped white-and-black North Walsham jersey -- from Hemp's childhood club in Norfolk -- hung over the media podium from which she spoke to reporters on Friday, another reminder of her football journey and how far the women's game has come.
"I come from an area where there wasn't many opportunities, I played for a boys' team when I was younger," she said. "Looking now and seeing how many girls' teams there are, how many girls taking up football, it's incredible to see, and I always get messages of girls being inspired.
"It makes you remember all the hard work that you have done."
The Lionesses will advance to the quarter-finals with a win over Wales on Sunday, while a draw would also be enough if the Netherlands fail to beat France. If England lose to Wales, they could still advance as long as France beat the Netherlands.
(Reporting by Lori Ewing; editing by Clare Fallon)
