Prince William's face lit up when I walked into the room'

Lioness Beth Mead talks finding footballing fame even among royalty and supporting a campaign to encourage young players into the game

- KENZI DEVINE

She became a household name as top scorer and player of the tournament in England's historic UEFA Women's Euro 2022 triumph. Now, nearly two years on, Lioness Beth Mead admits she still can't quite believe her new-found fame - or the attention she receives.

"I still find it weird when people recognise me," says Beth, 28, who was also named BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 2022 and received an MBE from the Prince of Wales in last year's New Year Honours. "Sometimes I'm taking my dog for a walk and someone will come up for a picture and it's just strange to me." But although her goals took England to dizzying new heights, Beth, who plays as a forward for Arsenal in the Women's Super League, has endured her share of tough times since.

Four months after the Lionesses' Euro victory, she suffered a rupture in her knee that left her on the sidelines for 11 months, causing her to miss the 2023 Women's World Cup. By a strange coincidence, her girlfriend and fellow Arsenal player Vivianne Miedema was out of action with a near-identical injury at the same time.

Beth has also been through a year of grief after losing her mum, June, to ovarian cancer in January 2023.

Here, she tells OK! how she is keeping her mum's memory alive and fills us in on her work with McDonald's, creating a programme to encourage more girls to get involved with football...

Hi, Beth. You've had a tough year. How have you managed to cope, dealing with your grief while also recovering from injury?

It hasn't been ideal. My break away from my personal life is football and I had that taken away from me for a very long time while I recovered. I'm very present in the moment on the pitch and very focused, so I think losing my mum has made me appreciate those moments more and live them through her.

What are you doing to remember her?