Toone (centre) kissed her hands and pointed to the sky after scoring against Wales
England’s Ella Toone and Beth Mead share a bond that extends beyond the pitch, forged in the shared experience of losing their parents.
Both players found the net in England’s dominant 6-1 victory over Wales. Midfielder Toone expressed her belief that her father and Mead’s mother were “up there with a few pints in their hands watching us”.
Forward Mead, who was the standout player at Euro 2022, experienced the loss of her mother, June, to ovarian cancer in January 2023.
Toone’s father, Nick, received a prostate cancer diagnosis the day after the Lionesses secured their Euro 2022 victory against Germany. He passed away in September 2024.
Toone has previously discussed the impact of her father’s passing on The Tooney & Russo Show, revealing that she didn’t “actually grieve” until a hamstring injury sidelined her last November.
Following England’s final Euro 2025 group match, she acknowledged the support she has received from Mead, expressing her joy that they could “both celebrate to the sky” against Wales.
“She has been amazing,” said Toone, who scored England’s second goal and contributed two assists. “We have really bonded over such a terrible thing but it’s nice to have someone who has been through it as well and who understands and knows exactly what is going on and what is going on in my head.
“We definitely have each other’s backs. We are proud of each other and it’s nice we are constantly talking about them. It’s nice to have someone in the same situation and we know we are doing them proud.”
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Mead, the Golden Boot winner at Euro 2022, scored her first goal of the 2025 tournament against Wales.
Mead, for whom her mum was her “biggest motivation”, came off the bench to score England’s fifth goal against Wales, describing their goals as “special”, particularly after both players struggled emotionally in the tournament opener.
“We both said the first game we really struggled. You look to the stands for your person who was standing there and they are not there anymore. My mum was the first person I would look for in the stands, so I understand what Ella felt in that moment,” said Mead.
“It’s special to be able to have that moment to think about them and dedicate it to them.”
Regarding her bond with Toone, she added: “I’ve been a shoulder to be there for her. There have been moments where she has asked, ‘is this normal? Does that feel normal? Why am I thinking this?’. I’m like, ‘it’s completely normal, I’ve been there and I still feel it now’.
“We have conversations about it and talk so easy about it but ultimately I’ve had a bit longer to process it compared to her. We all deal with it differently but she is dealing with it pretty amazingly now.”
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