It's coming home (again)
Tottenham players to look out for at the Women’s World Cup
The FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand is just around the corner. A wide range of Women’s Super League players will be heading to the tournament Down Under including several Tottenham women stars.
It will mark major tournament debuts for some Tottenham players. There could even potentially be a World Cup winner returning to the Spurs fold following the competition. We look at the Lilywhites players to look out for this summer.
Ria Percival
Tottenham’s veteran defensive midfielder will take part in her fifth World Cup tournament this summer. Ria Percival is one of the few undisputed legends when it comes to the New Zealand ranks.
Percival will be a vital leader for the ‘Football Ferns’ as they look to make a success of their home tournament. In the outright markets for the Women’s World Cup 2023 odds, they are offered at a price of 250/1 to win the tournament. That said, they will likely struggle to compete with stronger nations such as the United States and England. However, a run to the knockout stages would indicate a strong level of achievement for New Zealand.
If New Zealand are to achieve anything of note this summer, then Percival will likely underpin their success. She is a reliable anchor at the base of the midfield, that offers stunning leadership and communication skills.
Percival’s experience of playing in four consecutive Women’s World Cup’s as well as navigating multiple Olympic game campaigns will be invaluable for her nation.
Drew Spence
Drew Spence is another vastly experienced midfield player that will offer Spurs representation at the World Cup this year. Spence has a rare international record in the sense that she represented England before pledging her allegiances to Jamaica in 2021.
She was named in the Concacaf Women’s Championship best eleven last summer and will hope to have impressed in back-to-back major tournaments following the event this year.
Spence has been a genuine serial champion when it comes to winning major trophies within the English domestic game. Her know-how will be vital amongst a Jamaica team that is relatively inexperienced at the peak levels of the game.
Rosella Ayane
Like Spence, Rosella Ayane also plays for a nation that is considered minnows in the women’s game. Morocco is one of the least reputable nations that will participate in the tournament this summer.
Morocco has in fact been on a gradual rise over the past few years. In 2022 they finished as runners-up in the Women’s African Cup of Nations tournament. Ayane scored in the final, but the North African nation was beaten by South Africa in Rabat.
Ayane represented England in the development squads but has been committed to Morocco at the senior level. Prior to the World Cup, she had an impressive record of having found the net nine times in 21 outings for her nation.
The Tottenham forward’s goalscoring ability will be vital if Morocco is to cause any upsets in the competition. She is one of the few stars in the squad that has been a consistent goalscorer over her career.
It’s unlikely any Spurs stars will return with a World Cup winner medal following this summer’s event, but that does not mean they cannot impress individually. There are several international stars appearing at the World Cup this year that Tottenham fans will be eager to keep an eye on.
All views and opinions expressed in this article are the views and opinions of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of The Fighting Cock. We offer a platform for fans to commit their views to text and voice their thoughts. Football is a passionate game and as long as the views stay within the parameters of what is acceptable, we encourage people to write, get involved and share their thoughts on the mighty Tottenham Hotspur.
Would you like to write for The Fighting Cock?