is work to be still i think there is work to be done, in the spanish league for example, —— example, we are pushing for a new collective bargaining agreement and the negotiations are still stalled, mainly because of the salary issues, so, yeah, ithink still stalled, mainly because of the salary issues, so, yeah, i think we have come a long way but there is still a lot of work to do and they still a lot of work to do and they still have to get onboard and invest in women's football.— still have to get onboard and invest in women's football. thank you very much indeed _ in women's football. thank you very much indeed yasmien, _ in women's football. thank you very much indeed yasmien, a _ in women's football. thank you very much indeed yasmien, a defend - in women's football. thank you very much indeed yasmien, a defend for| much indeed yasmien, a defend for morocco. huge congratulations, thank you for giving us some of your time. also with me is faye white. captained arsenal in the fa women's super league, also got an mbe, for your services to football, fay and

also inducted in the english football hall of fame, the reason i listed all that, that gives, that puts a lot of responsibility on your shoulder, when you left the game formally, what were your, what was your focus in continuing to promote it, was it is grass root, was it the investment, the money, when you compare what you have heard from yasmin e to how you started, and what you see now, where do you any the work needs to be done?- the work needs to be done? yeah, well, i the work needs to be done? yeah, well. i mean _ the work needs to be done? yeah, well, i mean it _ the work needs to be done? yeah, well, i mean it was _ the work needs to be done? yeah, well, i mean it was all— the work needs to be done? yeah, well, i mean it was all about - the work needs to be done? yeah, i well, i mean it was all about trying to promote it really to opportunities for young girls to get involved in the game because we need to grow that fan base even more from what it is now and a lot of that has kind of been ticked off with the government announcing the equal funding in school, i worked when i was play for arsenal i was working at a development officer visiting schools, setting up opportunities for young girls to get a taste of playing football and that was 15, 20 years ago, because that is where we

were going to make that change, when those young girls, and boy, grow up knowing that that sport is available to everyone and it is just the norm that both boys and girls play in, so, obviously it was about growing with the base of that pyramid, almost, we get more young girls playing, thanks, you know, that will filter up to the top, and like the like of germany, like the likes of america, big base and have had that for a long time, so it was always about championing the sport, trying to push it more in the media and vocally, inspire young girls to take it up a and also the stories and obviously influence their parents as well, and, the older generation to accept women's football.- accept women's football. sarina wiegman. _ accept women's football. sarina wiegman. how _ accept women's football. sarina wiegman, how is _ accept women's football. sarina wiegman, how is she _ accept women's football. sarina wiegman, how is she doing - accept women's football. sarina | wiegman, how is she doing with accept women's football. sarina - wiegman, how is she doing with the team? she obviously has a lot of trust and confidence from the team members, but your thoughts on her leadership since she took over from neville? , ~ , neville? yes, i think it is brilliant. _ neville? yes, i think it is brilliant, i— neville? yes, i think it is brilliant, ithink- neville? yes, i think it is brilliant, i think she - neville? yes, i think it is brilliant, i think she was | neville? yes, i think it is.

brilliant, i think she was the missing piece to the jigsaw, from brilliant, i think she was the missing piece to thejigsaw, from my team with hope powell, she was a former player, who experienced the women's game, knew where it came from, and i always felt we needed a manager to take over from her, from, and i always felt we needed a manager to take overfrom her, that was, has been there and done it in the women's game but also, won something and sarina has done that with the netherlands, if you look at during my career the netherlands were on par with england land in their development and very close fixtures and contest, if anything we edged it over them and she went and changed that team to become a winning team, so often for me it was the last few inches in her heads as players of believing that is possible and having that coo kind of attitude that the americans and germans are so a captive and used to having a culture of win, it was about that, i think she was that missing piece going to the your rose and it was almost perfect because she has seen are from a player's point of view, you know she has made

it happen in another country ands hosted, they hosted that as well, the euros that time and followed it up the euros that time and followed it up with a semifinal, a final appearance in the women's world cup, you know, afterwards, so, it it was consistent too, but she, she gives that direction, and that kind of personal —— person ability. she understands what it is like to be a player and understands the women's game. we player and understands the women's came. ~ player and understands the women's iame_ . , , ., ~' player and understands the women's iame_ . ,, ., ~' ., player and understands the women's came. ~ ,, ., ., �* game. we were speaking to, i don't know if you — game. we were speaking to, i don't know if you caught _ game. we were speaking to, i don't know if you caught the _ game. we were speaking to, i don't know if you caught the conversation j know if you caught the conversation i was speaking to the morocco defender yasmine mrabet. she said one of the things that would help the game was investment but she said time, now, when you reflect back to your time with arsenal, how important is it, and was it, that you had regular club playing opportunities?— you had regular club playing opportunities? you had regular club playing o- ortunities? . ., , ., opportunities? yeah, i mean, you need,

opportunities? yeah, i mean, you need. you — opportunities? yeah, i mean, you need. you know. _ opportunities? yeah, i mean, you need, you know, the _ opportunities? yeah, i mean, you| need, you know, the opportunities and the time to get together as a group, and to be competing in these types of tournaments, that is what you know, we needed when i remember joining if squad in 96 we didn't regularly qualify for major tournament, itself is about pitching yourself against the best and experiencing the arena round a world cup or euros and realising what level you need to be at to make the little changes that you need to do along the way, heading into the next tournament that might come up and how you raise the level of your sport, so, yeah, it is a good these nations are becoming into the world cup and get that experience and obviously that pool of talent in all countries is gradually developing, but the likes of you know, vietnam, philippines are in the world cup and it will be a big eye—opener to them competing against the top nations but if they don't do it they won't realise what level they need to get up realise what level they need to get

up to, but for us everyone thinks it hasjust happened up to, but for us everyone thinks it has just happened but it has been going on for the last 20, 30 years, gradually, requests more investment and for me the biggest changes, not necessarily on the field, just we are professional now but the margins of training every day will increase the player a bit, but for me it is off the field support those players are getting, the rest they need, the nutrition, the exercise, the physio, every day attending to them when they get injuries or niggles and the package round what is a professional player, not having to balance jobs and overexhausting yourself from training too much and working a full day, you know, like we used to do. at the start of my career was fortunate to get into the era where we were getting paid by england to be full—time athlete, and those country also have to go through that but it is great to see them on the stage and getting that experience. let us talk about the captaincy,

millie bright announced. she was already vice, she has the vice position, there is a lot of experience and we are hearing there was somewhat a31 international caps who won't be with the lionesses for this world cup, a31 international caps, how much pressure does somebody like millie have on her shoulders, in leading out the team, how important is the captaincy? you were captain. how important is the captaincy? you were captain-— were captain. yes, it is a big pressure. — were captain. yes, it is a big pressure. it _ were captain. yes, it is a big pressure, it is _ were captain. yes, it is a big pressure, it is an _ were captain. yes, it is a big pressure, it is an extra - pressure, it is an extra responsibility and you only understand it when you in that position, leah had to deal with that because, she only had a handful of caps before the euros but she has been a captain, leah has at all age groups through the england celtic up, and i know herfrom arsenal days, that she will be you know, she would have become the england captain, she did and she will go on to the arsenal captain, but for

millie, she has been round leaders in her team in chelsea, and obviously been that vice—captain's position, she will understand from the extra responsibility, sometimes the extra responsibility, sometimes the media add that bit more, now, on to it and the commitments for having to it and the commitments for having to fill media commitments that will be on her shoulders more, it is about performing on titch and standing up in the big moment and big tournaments and getting the best out of yourself, i know how hard that can be coming in off an injuries it adds that bit extra and the mental strength resilience is in yourself to put the negative thoughts away and concentrate on the team as much as yourself, so, it is most other players can worry about themselves and do theirjob but she have to take that extra roll —— role on. it is one she can take, look how brilliantly she did in the euro, she

was rock of the team, wasn't she so she needs to repeat that. fine was rock of the team, wasn't she so she needs to repeat that.— was rock of the team, wasn't she so she needs to repeat that. one of the challenaes she needs to repeat that. one of the challenges that _ she needs to repeat that. one of the challenges that was _ she needs to repeat that. one of the challenges that was brought - she needs to repeat that. one of the challenges that was brought up - she needs to repeat that. one of the challenges that was brought up in i challenges that was brought up in that press conference was diversity. form it pains me in this day and age we still have to talk about this but 21 out of 23 of that squadroom white. what is the issue there? i have never looked at the squad in that way, when i was playing, there was a lot of diversity in the team, so, it shows that it is not a specific thing that has been designed or meant to, think it was just the way when training cams for the women's game, the top clubs moved out of the city, you know, a bit out of leafier areas where it is maybe harder to get your children to or get them that opportunity, there were some change, the women's game that has been lots of changes at

grass—roots level, to think how we can get it the best we can, so it hasn't been an issue in the past r it was so diverse, and i think it is just maybe this moment in time, but i am sure certainly not a criteria that sarina has looked at, she is just trying to pick the best 23 players at this moment in time, and obviously some injuries affected that, some sense but that is for the fa to work on and how that whole half way happens and how that young girls are given opportunities and i know they do a lot of work on that and it is working with clubs as well about their training facilities and where the academies are and allowed the players to come to the top. it starts years before, the investment in diversity. it has been a pleasure

—— pleasure speaks to you, thank you very much indeed. fay white there. it's the fans that matter, isn't it so let us cross quickly and speak to two fans who have patiently been following our coverage of this announcement for the lioness's squad for the world cup. i wonder if i could start with you sara, what are you hoping to see from the lionesses in this world cup? i from the lionesses in this world cu - ? ., from the lionesses in this world cu . ? ., , ., from the lionesses in this world cu - ? ., , ., ., from the lionesses in this world cu . ? ., , ., ., ., ., cup? i am, similar to what we have seen before. _ cup? i am, similar to what we have seen before, the _ cup? i am, similar to what we have seen before, the euros— cup? i am, similar to what we have seen before, the euros when - cup? i am, similar to what we have seen before, the euros when they i seen before, the euros when they were physically strong, scoring lots of goal, working at�* team we need to be strong, continue fighting as we have before, and we are bring it home.

and ruke, what excites you the most about the lionesses, and women's football, i mean, do you, do you discuss it with your family group, how has it changed, where does that excitement come from? yes. how has it changed, where does that excitement come from?— excitement come from? yes, i do discuss a lot _ excitement come from? yes, i do discuss a lot of _ excitement come from? yes, i do discuss a lot of women's - excitement come from? yes, i do discuss a lot of women's football, everyone — discuss a lot of women's football, everyone on twitter, the game has changed _ everyone on twitter, the game has changed from when i started watching, and it has grown, drastically, even in viewership, as the viewership starts to show this season, _ the viewership starts to show this season, but, for england especially, followed _ season, but, for england especially, followed england way back in 2016, when _ followed england way back in 2016, when i _ followed england way back in 2016, when i was in england, studying for my masters — when i was in england, studying for my masters and i actually kept an eye on— my masters and i actually kept an eye on the — my masters and i actually kept an eye on the team and how they developed overtime and you could see the performance at the euro, they were _ the performance at the euro, they were fantastic from the goalkeeper, to the _ were fantastic from the goalkeeper, to the fence, the midfield, the strikers, — to the fence, the midfield, the strikers, i_ to the fence, the midfield, the strikers, i think they are a team that will—

strikers, i think they are a team that will give the usa a run for their— that will give the usa a run for their money. this world cup. i do believe _ their money. this world cup. i do believe in — their money. this world cup. i do believe in them this time round, i feel like _ believe in them this time round, i feel like they will go far. i believe in them this time round, i feel like they will go far.- feel like they will go far. i think it is fantastic _ feel like they will go far. i think it is fantastic that _ feel like they will go far. i think it is fantastic that you - feel like they will go far. i think it is fantastic that you will - feel like they will go far. i think it is fantastic that you will be i it is fantastic that you will be following this from canada. very quickly, sarah louise, is itjust yourself thaw is following the lionesses or the entire family? 50. lionesses or the entire family? so, it is the entire _ lionesses or the entire family? so, it is the entire family but also, lionesses or the entire family? sr3, it is the entire family but also, i am a coach for a girl's team in bristol, and we often get the girls down, we have over 100 girls playing for us so we will be supporting them, we went to wembley and cheered them, we went to wembley and cheered them on, it is my family, me, my children, we will be supporting as well as the girls with the club. thousand old are the girls at the club? ~ ., ., ., " , club? we are going into under-11s this season _ club? we are going into under-11s this season so _ club? we are going into under-11s this season so they _ club? we are going into under-11s this season so they are _ club? we are going into under-11s this season so they are ten - club? we are going into under-11s this season so they are ten and i this season so they are ten and 11—year—old girls and it amazing for them to have role models of their own rather than following the men's game. they say i want to be like

laurenjameses or game. they say i want to be like lauren jameses or chloe game. they say i want to be like laurenjameses or chloe kelly game. they say i want to be like lauren jameses or chloe kelly and game. they say i want to be like laurenjameses or chloe kelly and it is good for them to have something thatis is good for them to have something that is so popular now. that is good for them to have something that is so popular now.— that is so popular now. that is fantastic. _ that is so popular now. that is fantastic, the _ that is so popular now. that is fantastic, the role _ that is so popular now. that is fantastic, the role model, - that is so popular now. that is i fantastic, the role model, sarah louise i think we will probably come back to you as the world cup kicks off so we can speak to some of the player, i hope you are in agreement with that, from myself here on bbc news of course, plenty more on the bbc news sport website. live from london, this is bbc news. as russia's invasion of ukraine rages on, we'll get the latest on kyiv�*s anticipated counter—offensive from a former us army general. i believe it is going to be very impressive, i think we will see for first time the achievement of true combined arms effect. rail passengers across britain face fresh disruption, as more than 12,000 train drivers go on strike.

a warning from scientists and experts —