“It’s all I ever did. All I ever wanted to do. All I ever cared about,” said England’s former Leeds United player Rachel Daly, a few days after the Lionesses’ World Cup Group D win over Denmark. “I think all my teachers at school will say the same. I always wanted to be a footballer, I just didn’t know if I could make a career and live the dream.”

After starring as Sarina Wiegman’s first-choice left-back in England’s historic Euro 2022 win last summer, Daly transferred to Aston Villa for the 2022/23 season. She returned to her preferred role of striker, scored 22 goals in 22 games, and claimed the Women’s Super League Golden Boot.

Could she have made a better bid for the number 9 shirt given up by the retired Ellen White? Probably not. Wiegman was interested, yet when England began their World Cup campaign against Haiti, months of experimenting culminated in a decision to start 24-year-old Arsenal striker Alessia Russo up top, with Daly’s shooting talent only unleashed for the final fifteen minutes.

Wiegman was not happy with her back line during that opening game, a narrow win against a low-ranked side, and the curse of the versatile was unleashed upon Daly. For the following match, against Denmark, she was starting as a left-back again.

I don’t pretend to understand why a younger, less experienced Russo is a better striker for England than someone who has recent experience of scoring LOADS of goals. All I know is that I want England to win and I like seeing Daly on the pitch. So if Russo at nine with Daly in defence is a formula which satisfies those aims, I’m not that bothered about the reasons why.

Not everyone is the same. Some fans do want answers, causing journalists to ponder, speculate, wrangle with stats and formations until their brains hurt.

Daly, meanwhile, is no stranger to such leading questions as ‘where do you like to play?’ or ‘are you happy as a striker?’ Maybe I’m naive, maybe she’s being polite, diplomatic, media-trained to within an inch of her life, but I really believe her when she explains: “I just love playing football”.

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