Tonight’s fixture in Dublin saw Leah Williamson make her return to the Lionesses after a prolonged period on the sidelines as she underwent a lengthy recovery spell. Digesting what the moment felt like as she took to the turf of AVIVA Stadium, Williamson expressed that it was “Really really nice, very very proud to wear the England badge and a good three points.”

The clash under the lights saw England gather a 2-0 victory over the Republic of Ireland, as the Lionesses bounce back from Friday night’s stalemate at Wembley Stadium. Williamson reflected on her side’s performance, digesting what she found to be the difference in tonight’s meeting with the Girls in Green.

“I thought the first half we moved the ball a lot better, a lot quicker, we were in control of it. Obviously scoreline and circumstantially the game changed at the end, but I thought we showed more of who we are today.”

Over 32,000 fans piled through the turnstiles of AVIVA Stadium this evening, as the Irish contingent came out in strong numbers to face the Lionesses on the occasion. Williamson packed on the praise for the crowd, speaking in high regard of tonight’s opponents.

“Honestly it’s amazing. It’s not easy, 32,000 of them booing at the end! But it’s amazing to see how the game has changed, and everywhere we go know we should almost expect a crowd like that. Credit to Ireland- I’ve obviously got a teammate who’s Irish [Katie McCabe], so I’ve seen the journey and I think it’s incredible.”

Making comment on the rainbow armband that she donned during the fixture, Williamson classily remarked that “I keep it on, because it’s an important one as well.”

Speaking in further regard to the exponential growth of the women’s game over recent years. Williamson exclaimed her excitement in watching women’s football reach new heights.

“It’s great for the game. It’s great for the spectators- if we are going to bring the spectators in then we want them to watch good football, and we want them to watch good games. Imagine where we’ll be in 10-15 years time when all the young girls in these recent years actually get to an age to play on this stage.”