England given Braveheart lesson about Scotland

Wars were fought and lives lost centuries ago, and nowadays any hostility is less brutal but still occasionally comes to the surface.

Tonight the national football teams of each country will go head to head in Utrecht, as they begin their campaigns at the Women’s European Championship.

Sampson said he wanted his players to know why the match would mean so much to the Scots, who go in hampered by the loss to injury of their world-class playmaker Kim Little and star defender Jennifer Beattie.

Details emerged of the Lionesses being taught about what makes the Scots tick, and why they will so ardently want to take down World Cup bronze medallists England in their opening game. And Sampson detailed why it was so important to get inside the minds of their opponents.

He said: “Did we have a history lesson? We did, yes. Every time we play an opponent in a major tournament we want our players to understand their ‘why’.

“Our ‘why’ is that we want to inspire the nation, and we want to win for our family and friends and become the best team in the world.

“We need to know what their ‘why’ is because they have gone into great depths to try to find a way to beat this England team.

“For us to understand why they’d be willing to do that is really important to us. So now we know that, we can ensure our motivation levels are right and we can find a way to win what’s going to be a very difficult football match.”

The lesson is thought to have included clips of the Mel Gibson film Braveheart, the Oscar-winning interpretation of William Wallace’s role in the First War of Scottish Independence.

Sampson added: “I’ve never been involved in a game of football that isn’t a battle. This will be similar.

“Both teams will be determined to win. Our focus is on being the best we can be.

“We are aware of Scotland and we know their main strengths and we know they have some outstanding players and individual talents.”