Nikita Parris

“I'd go with our dad to watch our brothers play Sunday League. When I heard all the shouts, the reaction of the crowd, I wanted it to be about me.”

“I recently started my own NP17 Academy within Liverpool Community College, which gives 16-19-year-old girls an opportunity to embark on a sports career, whether it be as a coach, player, physio, or nutritionist.”

“Ever since I was kid, I dreamed of playing for England.”

“If you don't have competition in a squad, you can have complacency - and, if you have complacency, you won't win.”

“There was always sibling rivalry. Tennis, football, boxing, whatever - you always want to come out on top of big sis.”

“You've got to have dedication because there's a lot of sacrifice which goes into it - a lot of your time is minimal with friends and family, especially in the past 10 years.”

“As long as I can keep one child off the streets or change one child's life for the better, then that's enough for me.”

“Playing at the Women's World Cup is my long-term goal and, hopefully, I can contribute to winning a medal.”

“I use Palmers Coconut Oil for my skin. My hair routine is thorough: I hot-oil my hair every two Sundays after games, top it up with coconut oil every third day, and deep condition my hair every two days.”

“Opportunities for young girls, like young boys, to go into academies from a young age does happen now in England, but it doesn't happen globally.”

“From the age of seven, I knew I wanted to play football - I didn't think about it in a professional sense in terms of making money from it; it was more about the social aspect of being with my friends and losing myself in the sport.”

“I still play a bit of tennis, but only a knockabout to help with my recovery after a game.”

“Being the best is:applying yourself to your potential, putting out the best version of yourself.”

“Football still gives me butterflies; it still makes me smile.”

“I just want to be at the best place possible to ensure that I really kick on in my career, that I constantly have challenges, because in football, you don't have long. It's easy to become complacent when game time comes so easily, and you're doing so well.”

“That first game was so hyped up, and it was obviously my first experience of a crowd in a World Cup. When I first walked out and heard the national anthem, it was just an unreal experience. I didn't expect a crowd like that.”

“Let's build women's football from the bottom before we get to the top; it's not about building from the top to get to the bottom. We can talk about the Etihad and Man United's ground, the Theatre of Dreams, in a few years' time. Let's fill the Academy Stadiums, the Kingsmeadows, first of all.”

“The Champions League is one trophy that I need to win.”

“You've got to be fit to box. In football, if you need a breather, your team-mate can take over. There's no one in the ring to help out.”

“Completing my degree in Sports Development at Liverpool's John Moores University while being full-time at Manchester City is one of my greatest achievements.”