Leah Williamson admitted yesterday that it had been a tough few days after her successful spot kick booked the England Under-19s women’s teams place at the European Championships in bizarre circumstances.

In an unprecedented move, Uefa ordered for the last minute of injury time of the clash with Norway to be replayed, starting with a retaken spot kick, five days after the original game ended in controversy when a refereeing blunder denied England the right to take the penalty again.

Williamson made no mistake from 12 yards in Thursday night’s brief encounter in Belfast, to level the match at 2-2 and send England through, while Norway qualified as the top runner-up.

“I have experienced every single emotion over the past 24 hours,” the 18-year-old said.

“But it wasn’t about me, it was about the team. I know everyone says that but it really was and I have never felt calmer than when she blew that whistle.”

She added: “We had a job to do, we did the job and we took our opportunity that I would never have dreamed to be gifted.”

Both Norway and England had played their final group matches earlier on Thursday, and with both sides having won their game, Williamson needed to score to send her side through to the finals.

By Our Sports Desk