Nikita Parris

Athlete

137 Quotes

I go home every day, and my mum still lives in the same house. It's not one of the most affluent areas of Liverpool - some may say it's deprived - but we have an abundance of love and support.

Me and fellow scouser Toni Duggan are a double act. We are always pre-planning some sort of practical joke.

I think about giving back every single day, about the people who put so much effort into supporting my mum and me.

You have to respect America for respecting the pioneers of the game. That's important. We do that a lot in our game in England. What they've done for women's football across the world is massive.

I do a bit of boxing in the off-season to stay fit - it's a different kind of fitness.

I think about giving back every single day, about the people who put so much effort into supporting my mum and me.

Football still gives me butterflies; it still makes me smile.

I'm always playing jokes, even on the manager - some, not many. I want to try and keep my place in the squad.

I still play a bit of tennis, but only a knockabout to help with my recovery after a game.

I use Palmers Coconut Oil for my skin. My hair routine is thorough: I hot-oil my hair every two Sundays after games, top it up with coconut oil every third day, and deep condition my hair every two days.

The Champions League is one trophy that I need to win.

Our under-19s, under-20s, under-17s teams are all getting into Euro finals, World Cup finals, winning bronze medals. We're winning bronze medals; it's about that final step now. We've got to punish teams. In every game - youth games, senior games - just to push the game further.

When I step up to that penalty spot, I know the consequences. They're the same whether I miss the first, second, third - or the 10th - it will be the same.

You have to sacrifice time with your family, your time as a teenager. You don't experience life like any other, outside of football. When you go to uni, you can't live the uni lifestyle. But I've never, ever thought about quitting football.

I'd go with our dad to watch our brothers play Sunday League. When I heard all the shouts, the reaction of the crowd, I wanted it to be about me.

I have a niece now, and it makes me want to be better for her, just to show that there's a big wide world outside Toxteth, and you can imprint yourself in any one of those places as long as you do the hard work and have the desire.

Playing at the Women's World Cup is my long-term goal and, hopefully, I can contribute to winning a medal.

There weren't any opportunities to be a professional women's player until I was 16 and the WSL was formed.

I'm proud to say that my sister was the first female boxer in the Olympics. That's history. She made her mark. And that's what you want to do in any sport.

Always stay in a happy medium in sport, because you never know what's around the corner.

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