England's Rouse and George savouring home finals
Thursday, November 28, 2013
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England may have succumbed to Italy in their Group A opener, but spirits are still high on the part of Mollie Rouse, who celebrated her birthday on Wednesday, and Gabrielle George.
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Despite a 1-0 loss to Italy on matchday one, England pair Mollie Rouse and Gabrielle George remain intent on enjoying their time in the limelight as UEFA European Women's Under-17 Championship hosts.
"[Tuesday's game] was brilliant. Whenever we got the ball, there was so much energy. Everyone wanted the ball and to perform well," said midfielder Rouse after entertaining a tournament record crowd of 2,185 in Telford. "It was a great atmosphere and there were so many people supporting us. We didn't want to let them down and we performed really well. It was a new experience for us all and now we're ready for the next one."
A desire to learn and improve is shared by both players, meanwhile, with St George's Park providing an ideal environment for doing just that. "It's such a good experience," said Rouse, the youngest player in the England squad having turned 15 on Wednesday. "All the players are really close, we all have a laugh, but we also know when to be serious. I miss my family, but it's so good to be here. It's very inspiring."
The Three Lionesses tackle Austria in their next Group A assignment on Friday, and centre-back George is thinking positive. "In many ways we were underdogs and nobody expected us to play as well as we did [against Italy]. We should have at least got a draw, but now we've got to be ready for the next game."
To watch the interview in full, click on the video player above.