I was pretty wild as a kid. Football tamed me. It put me on the right path, got me focused.
The feeling I had at 14, getting selected for Everton's Under-15 side - that excitement, pride, all the emotions - it never goes away. It still happens when I'm waiting for the England squad announcement. I'll get sweaty palms, I'll sit and scroll through my inbox, refreshing it continuously making sure that the email comes through.
I do a bit of boxing in the off-season to stay fit - it's a different kind of fitness.
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.
That first game was so hyped up, and it was obviously my first experience of a crowd in a World Cup. When I first walked out and heard the national anthem, it was just an unreal experience. I didn't expect a crowd like that.
I recently started my own NP17 Academy within Liverpool Community College, which gives 16-19-year-old girls an opportunity to embark on a sports career, whether it be as a coach, player, physio, or nutritionist.
