Pity a year to remember had to end in tears

We will all have personal footballing highlights for 2021 – it might be Hull City winning League One, Barnsley’s run to the Championship play-offs, Rotherham United’s 21-game unbeaten run, Harrogate Town’s ongoing rise or the emergence of young players such as Sorba Thomas and Daniel Jebbison – but what will stick with me is the journey the England men’s team went on this year.

As this year’s European Championships went on, I honestly thought we were going to win it, because Gareth Southgate’s team were so good on – and off – the field.

To have been able to be a small part of it working for Sky Sports and Optus Sports was great. Even filming on Wembley Way the day after England games was special because people were still hanging around soaking it up.

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For the first four or five months of 2021, games were behind closed doors so it was great to experience a big-match atmosphere again.

England star: Leeds United's Kalvin Phillips. Picture: Getty ImagesEngland star: Leeds United's Kalvin Phillips. Picture: Getty Images
England star: Leeds United's Kalvin Phillips. Picture: Getty Images

I covered the England v Scotland game for Sky Sports News with Kris Boyd and all the Scottish fans were beneath us constantly singing. Kris needed a security escort to get back to the hotel without being mobbed!

Covering the Germany game for Optus was strange because they are an Australian television company and when I was jumping up and down celebrating England’s goals there was just me, an English producer and a lot of neutrals around!

The feelgood factor continued all the way to the final until the massive disappointment of losing on penalties to Italy. I watched at home on the television with my family and nobody spoke for about half-an-hour afterwards.

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After the game ,there was horrendous abuse from a minority of people towards the black players who missed in the shoot-out but the positive was the reaction from the majority who showed their love for these players and proved racism will not win. The response when Marcus Rashford’s mural was vandalised and the standing ovation Brentford fans gave Bukayo Saka at the opening game of the season showed there are good people out there.

As a former Leeds United player, I was pleased to see a couple of Marcelo Bielsa’s squad on England’s journey too.

Things have been tougher this season but Leeds are still one of the teams everyone loves to watch, and it was a brilliant achievement to finish ninth in the Premier League with only a few additions to the Championship-winning squad.

Kalvin Phillips came off the back of that to be one of the stand-out stars of the Euros and other than the people who watch Leeds regularly, few would have thought he was going to be such a major part of that England side.

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In September, Patrick Bamford got rewarded for all his hard work with an international debut. Bamford had so many people questioning whether he could do it in the Premier League but showed he can.

It was lovely to hear how proud he was to represent his country. I always want players like that to do well. Some people make it look like it is just a job, but not Bamford and Phillips.

I was lucky to watch some of these moments from the commentary box or television studio and one of the people who has helped me in my media career was Jeff Stelling, so it was one of the sad points of my 2021 when he announced he is stepping down from Soccer Saturday at the end of the season.

When I finished playing and decided I wanted to go into punditry, Jeff was someone you thought you would love to work with. He makes his job look so effortless when it is so difficult.

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I had done Soccer Specials for Sky before and been at the grounds but when I became the first female studio pundit on Soccer Saturday I was panicking a little bit even though I was well prepared and knew what I was doing because it was a big deal. But everyone was so good and Jeff made it so easy. He gives you questions that are challenging but not hospital passes.

He looked after me and spoke to me afterwards and if Jeff Stelling says you have done well you are buzzing. I will be really sad to see him move on to other things but I am sure 2022 will be another good year for him as I hope it is for you and your families.

Thanks for reading in 2021 and here’s to many more great memories to come.

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