Eleanor Klinger does not give an inch when she takes to the field. The England midfielder suffered a broken toe for her troubles during a summer friendly against the USA in preparation for the .
But the Stanford student would not have it any other way. Klinger has effectively coupled her tenacity and aggression with creativity and technical ability to become a key member of the Young Lionesses set-up since switching from the USA youth programme.
After failing to qualify for the 2022 and 2024 editions, England will be back on the world stage at Poland 2026, where they will take on Brazil, Canada and Tanzania in the group stage.
Ahead of the global showpiece, Klinger spoke to FIFA about studying at Stanford, her short- and long-term career ambitions and her admiration for Harry Kane.
Eleanor Klinger: Obviously, it would be an immense honour. Any time I represent the Three Lions, I am incredibly grateful because you are not just representing the squad that you are with but also the huge legacy of the women who have come before, as well as being part of something bigger. All the players are playing at the highest level at top professional clubs in England and abroad so I would be incredibly excited to represent the country with them.
All different styles of play and all quality opponents but that being said, we have put in the work and I am confident that if we show up on the day and put in our best effort that we'll be prepared and be able to move on.
I was really excited to stay home at once for camp and it was a really great opportunity, as in some respects it emulated a group stage environment. Even though it wasn't in a competitive scenario, we tried to replicate that by looking at the fixtures that we had. So we played the US, then we had a friendly in the middle and then a game against Colombia at the end.
I got hurt in the first game. I was able to play 70 minutes and it was a real quality game overall. We tied 1-1 and took a lot of great things away from it. After the game, I found out that my toe had been stepped on and broken, so I had to sit out the rest of camp. But just being able to listen in to the tactical meetings, go to practice and be part of the squad was really valuable. We finished with a win over Colombia, which was exciting because if it had been a group stage format we would have advanced. So overall I thought it was a really valuable experience for the team and myself to continue building those relationships on and off the field in preparation for Poland.
Kaiya is the best. She is one of those people who gets on with anyone. Being able to have her by my side at camp adds another layer of familiarity, even if I am getting to know the rest of the team in that time, so it's been great to have Kaiya with me.
I am studying political science. Soccer is a big commitment being a student-athlete, but off the field we have something called the Student Athletic Advisory Committee. I'm involved with them in terms of representing and advocating for the student athletes in conversation with administrators here, as well as other student organizations related to my interests in political science.
Soccer-wise, obviously to play pro at the highest level and being able to see what opportunities I can get and pursue them to the fullest. The goal right ahead is the college season at Stanford as well as the World Cup in Poland. But since I was young that was always front of mind.
Creative, technical but also aggressive. When I ended up breaking my toe, I was going in for a tackle and someone crunched me. That's how I play; I am not holding back. I would say that is one of my biggest assets.
Growing up and still today, I have been a huge Harry Kane fan. I have a lot of respect for the way he is able to lead any team that he is a part of, not only through his goalscoring ability but also his ability to playmake all the way back in the field, as well as the way he carries himself on the pitch.
No1 to win - that would be the headline. But any time I go into camp, I have the best time with the girls there. I know going into a tournament it's going to have its ups and downs, and just being able to contribute to the team through my role on the field and off the field, having a great attitude, learning from the coaches and asking questions and being a good team-mate.
Sources: FIFA Official
